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THE  LIFE -BOAT  SERIES. 


All  Handsomely  Illustrated. 


THE  LIFE-BOAT. 

A  Tale  of  the  English  Coast  Heroes.     By  R.  M. 
Ballantyne. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  FROLIC. 

A  Sea  Story  by  William  H.  G.  Kingston. 

THE  YOUNG  MIDDY. 

Or  the  Perilous  Adventures  of  a  Boy  Officer. 

ANTONY  WAYMOUTH. 

Or  the  Gentleman  Adventurers.     By  William  H. 
G.  Kingston. 

DICK  ONSLOW. 

Adventures  among  the  Red  Skins.     By  William 
H.  G.  Kingston.  ^    ^ 


LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  Publishers, 

BOSTON. 


,J&Mll<^ 


Digitized  by  tlie  Internet  Arcliive 

in  2007  witli  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


littp://www.arcliive.org/details/adventuresofdickOOkingiala 


ADVENTURES 


DICK    ONSLOW 


AMONG  THE  RED   SKINS. 


A  BOOK   FOR  BOYS. 


WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


EDITED    BY    WILIJAM    H.    G.    KINGSTON. 


BOSTON: 
LEE    AND  SHEPARD,    PUBLISHERS. 

NEW  YORK :  CHARLES  T.  DILLINGHAM. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

My  friends  the  Raggets.  —  Our  proposed  migration.  —  Journey  commenced. — 
Attack  of  the  Indians.  —  A  shot  through  my  leg. — Horrible  anticipationa. 

—  Hide  in  a  bush.  —  Climb  a  tree.  —  My  thoughts  in  my  concealment.  — 
Listen  in  expectation  of  an  attack.  —  Starving  in  the  midst  of  plenty.  — 
Some  one  approaches. — I  prepare  to  fire .    .    2-19 

CHAPTER  n. 

A  friend  In  need.  —  How  two  people  may  live  while  one  will  starve.  —  Obed  goes  in 
search  of  adventures,  and  I  awake  to  find  a  rattlesnake  close  to  my  nose.  — 
I  am  saved.  —  Obed  returns,  but  followed  by  a  gentleman  whose  room  would 
be  more  pleasant  than  his  company. —  Obed  cannot  fire,  and  I  cannot  run,  but 
I  save  him  by  sitting  still.  —  We  anticipate  the  pleasure  of  dining  on  bear's 
flesh.  —  Obed  fetches  and  carries  like  a  dog,  and  we  faro  sumptuously.  —  I 
take  to  crutches.  —  We  collect  stores  and  make  a  tent.  —  A  Red  Skin  vis- 
itor  20-88 

CHAPTER  in. 

Th«  Bed  Skin  proves  to  be  a  friend.  — He  and  Obed  leave  me  alone  in  my  glory. 

—  I  fortify  myself  for  the  winter.  —  Visited  by  wolves.  —  A  terrific  storm. 

—  The  wolves  my  nightly  visitors.  —  I  kill  some  and  eat  them,  but  find 
them  o'er  tench.  —  An  object  moving  in  the  distance.  —  Red  Skins  and  ene- 
mies. —  I  prepare  for  their  reception.  —  I  kill  one  of  them.  —  A  fearful 
struggle.  —  I  endeavor  to  obliterate  the  signs  of  this  visit. — My  terrible 
■olitude.  —  More  wolves  and  more  Indians.  — I  prepare  a  banquet  for  them. 

—  The  suspicions  of  my  guests  aroused.  —  The  unpleasant  termination  to 
our  feast 84-62 

CHAPTER  IV. 

tlM  Indians  propose  to  kill  me.  —  I  am  bound  ready  for  the  torture. — Mj 
gnests  find  the  fire-water,  and  I  find  the  advantage  of  having  abstained  from 
it.  —  A  fearful  conference.  —  A  tomahawk  sent  at  my  head.  —  The  spirit* 
take  effect.  — I  work  my  limbs  free.  —  Shall  1  kill  my  enemies  ?  —  I  fly.  —  A 
mn  for  life.  —  My  terrible  journey.  —  I  sink  exhausted.  —  A  fHendly  Indian. 

—  A  kind  reception.  —  I  have  cause  to  rejoice  that  I  did  not  red  ten  my 
bMids  with  blood 6a-7S 

(iii) 


Contents. 


CHAPTER  V. 

I  haf*  eanw  to  r^(dee  that  I  did  not  avenge  myself.  —  My  great  medkine  work 

—  I  rise  in  the  estimation  of  my  new  friends.  —  An  Indian  encampm«nt. 

—  Am  offered  a  wife,  but  compelled  to  decline  the  honor.  — John  Pipe«tick. 

—  Surrounded  by  enemies.  —  A  fierce  attack.  —  We  fight  with  despenttion, 
and  resolve  to  die  like  brare  men 7.*)-92 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Oar  powder  expended.  —  I  believe  that  my  last  moment  has  arrived.  —  Unez 
pected  succor.  —  A  dangerous  predicament.  —  Obed's  gallantry.  — Our  ene- 
mies take  to  flight.  —  We  reconnnence  our  journey.  —  Generosity  of  the  eld 
chief.  — Offers  me  two  wives  instead  of  one.  —  Obed's  narrative.  — How  h* 
escaped  from  the  bear.  —  A  fresh  alarm.  —  The  approach  of  a  stranger. 

93-109 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

The  Dacotas  are  again  upon  us.  —  We  hurry  to  the  rescue.  —  We  preserve  the 
life  of  the  stranger.  —  Sam  Short,  the  trapper.  —  His  adventures.  —  Escape 
from  the  Red  Skins.  — Desperate  combat  in  the  canoe.  — Sam's  search  for 
his  companion.  —  Discovers  one  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians. — They  dis- 
cover Sain,  and  he  flies.  —  Finds  Blount,  and  together  they  go  in  search  of 
Noggin.  —  Again  get  sight  of  Noggin,  but  he  is  fastened  to  a  stake.  —  Noggin 
shows  that  in  spite  of  his  name  he  is  a  hero 110-138 

CHAPTER  Vni. 

Oiied'g  story  continued.  —  Noggin  rescued  by  the  ciiiers  daughter.  —  Sam  and 
Blount  retire,  hoping  that  he  may  be  happy.  —  They  continue  their  wan- 
derings.—  Blount's  death.  —  Sam  proceeds  alone. — Captured  by  the  Red 
Skins.  —  They  prepare  to  kill  him. — Not  liking  it,  he  endeavors  to  escape 
fivm  it.  —  Escape  and  pursuit.  —  A  ride  for  life.  —  Hard  pressed  for  fooid. 

—  Obed's  adventures. — How  he  escaped  from  the  bear. — The  Ciithful 
Delaware 134-152 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Obed's  adventures  continued.  —  Journey  with  the  Delaware.  —  The  prairie  on 
fire.  —  They  fly  for  their  lives.  —  A  stampedo.  —  A  narrow  escape  on  the  rock. 

—  Long  journey.  —  Approach  of  winter.  —  Their  life  in  a  cave.  —  Expected 
visit  from  bears.  —  Journey  continued.  —  Arrival  at  the  fort.  —  Further  ad- 
ventures with  bears  and  wolves.  —  Save  the  life  of  a  young  chief.  — Carry 
him  onward  till  they  reach  their  camp. — The  young  Red  Skin's  gratitude. 

—  End  of  Obed's  narrative.  —  Fresh  alarms.  —  Again  the  enemy  ap- 
proach     153-16Jt 

CHAPTER  X. 

IIm  Red  Skins  attempt  to  alarm  us.  —  Singularly  unsuccessfol.  —  The  enemy  al 
length  commence  the  assault.  —  We  bravely  defend  our  camp.  —  Sam  di»- 
covers  that  they  are  Pawnees  and  Dacotas.  —  His  device  to  separate  their 
ibrces.  —  Oiscovers  Noggin  among  them  dressed  as  a  chief.  —  The  enemy  re- 
tire.—  Sam's  ex|X'ditinn  to  rescue  Nogpn  which  T  ."loconipany.  —  Our  8n<«- 
cess.  —  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Noggin. —  His  magnificent  appearance  as  an  Indian 
chief.  —  We  push  onwards  and  at  length  reach  the  camp  of  onr  friends  tha 
Baggets 170-m 


Contents 


CHAPTER  XI. 

5ar  winter  encampment.  —  Oar  huts.  —  How  we  spent  onr  time.  —  A  n^ht  alarm, 

—  A  Tisit  from  a  grizzly.  —  My  encounter  with  the  same.  —  Short  saves  me. 

—  We  start  in  search  of  Mrs.  Bruin.  —  We  enter  the  fastnesses  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  —  Short's  battle  with  the  bear.  —  His  perilous  situation.  —  Still 
In  danger.  —  We  go  round  to  assist  him.  —  The  snow  moyes,  though  the  bear 
does  not,  and  we  find  ourselves  on  the  top  of  an  avalanche.  —  A  most  un- 
pleasant mode  of  locomotion 182-196 

CHAPTER  XII. 

We  feel  as  if  we  were  going  over  the  falls  of  Niagara.  —  Smothered  by  snow.  — 
We  appear  by  degrees.  —  Obed  missing.  —  We  gave  him  a  warm  bath  inside 
the  bear.  —  Our  dangerous  predicament.  —  How  to  get  out  of  the  ravine.  -  - 
Sam  appears  above  us.  —  We  climb  out  with  no  little  difficulty.  —  The  bear'i 
cave.  —  Having  had  enough  bear  hunting  we  return  home.  — Find  a  native 
visitor,  who  informs  us  that  we  may  expect  soon  an  attack  from  an  over- 
whelming force  of  Red  Skins 196-207 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Bhort  and  Noggin  act  as  interpreters.  —  We  prepare  to  move  onward. — The 
White  Dog.  —  We  guard  against  surprise.  —  I  go  out  as  a  scout.  —  Pursued 
by  Red  Skins.  —  Return  to  the  camp.  —  More  visitors.  —  We  suspect  treach- 
ery. —  White  Dog  warns  us  that  they  are  enemies  —  We  prepare  for  a  start 
while  Noggin  holds  a  palaver  with  the  Indians.  —  They  are  allowed  to  enter. 
Their  chiefs  treacherous  attempt  to  kill  Laban,  but  gets  killed  himself.  — 
We  seize  the  rest.  —  Noggin's  regret  that  we  do  not  kill  them.  —  We  start  on 
our  journey.  —  White  Dog  accompanies  us.  —  We  push  on.  —  Our  first  en- 
campment. —  A  fresh  alarm 208-224 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

A.  »ndden  alarm.  —  White  Dog  nearly  roasted.  —  Continue  our  march. — My 
young  friends  Gog  and  Magog.  — Disappearance  of  Short  and  Obed.  —  I  de- 
scend to  search  for  them.  —  A  magnificent  ice  cavern.  —  Cross  a  frozen  lake. 

—  Indians  ahead.  — Friends.  —  A  scene  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  —  Cam>, 
and  fortify  ourselves.  —  Approach  of  Flintheads. — Desperate  conflict. — 
An  avalanche  comes  thundering  down  on  us 225-242 

CHAPTER  XV. 

I  find  myself  under  the  snow.  —  My  att«mpt8  to  escape  appear  to  be  vain.  — 
Struggle  on.  —  Am  free,  but  find  myself  alone  among  the  mountains.  —  Push 
on.  —  Encounter  a  grizzly  bear.  —  A  fight.  —  Will  he  eat  me,  or  shall  I  eat 
him?  —  The  pleasautest  alternative  occurs,  and  Bruin  saves  my  life.  —  I 
hurry  on  in  the  hopes  of  overtaking  my  friends.  —  Take  up  my  lodging  for 
the  night  in  a  cavern * 243-255 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

k  ught  in  a  cave.  —  I  fortify  myself,  and  go  to  sleep.  —  Unwelcome  visitors.  — 
My  battle  with  tlie  wolves.  —  I  drive  them  off,  and  again  go  to  sleep  — Con- 
tinne  my  journey.  —  Night  again  ivertakes  me.  —  I  buUd  a  castle  tot  my 

1* 


Contents. 


reating-pUee.  —  Voicefl  of  fHends  Mnnd  pl«a«antly. — Ewape  of  my  eon 
panions.  —  Fate  of  surly  Idagog.  —  R«ach  the  camp.  —  The  sammit  of  Um 
pass.  —  Commence  our  dawsAot.  —  An  Irishman's  notion  of  the  best  w*t  ' 
go  down  the  mountain 2uo-!«l 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Bad  fkte  of  the  poor  Learys.  —  Grief  of  the  mother  and  sisters.  —  We  go  in  search 
of  the  missing  ones.  —  Find  them  at  the  bottom  of  the  rayine.  —  The  barial. 

—  Wild  scene.  —  Return  to  camp.  —  Go  on  a  sporting  expedition.  —  My  bat- 
tle with  the  hawks.  —  Very  nearly  beaten.  —  Short  comes  to  the  rescue.  — 
Consequences  of  indulging  in  a  flit  of  romance  on  a  journey.  —  Go  to  sleep, 
and  find  that  my  only  companion  is  a  huge  rattltenake  .    .    272-3M 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A  fight  with  a  rattlesnake,  and  a  description  of  my  enemy.  —  Find  the  camp  da 
serted.  —  Feel  yery  hungry.  —  Kill  a  goose.  —  See  some  horsemen  in  the  dis- 
tance. —  Find  a  river  between  me  and  them.  —  Build  a  raft  and  take  a  longer 
Toyage  than  I  intend.  —  Shoot  a  &11,  and  haye  the  pleasant  prospect  of  being 
carried  down  a  cataract         287-296 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Dnexpectedly  reach  the  bank,  and  land  in  safety.  —  My  clothes  are  m  tatters.  — 
After  making  a  long  journey  find  that  I  have  returned  to  the  very  spot  I 
left.  —  Encounter  a  hungry  wolf.  —  Suffer  from  want  of  water.  —  Meet  s 
lynx,  but  find  no  liquid.  —  Go  to  bed  among  some  nests  of  rattlesnakes.  — 
Slaughter  a  host  of  snakes  and  sip  the  dew  in  the  morning.  —  More  rattle- 
snakes. —  My  onward  journey  continued.  —  My  cry  is  still  for  water.  —  Ob- 
tain a  larger  share  than  I  require. — I  swim  down  the  stream,  and  on 
landing  am  received  by  a  huge  grizzly 299-811 

CHAPTER  XX. 

I  look  at  the  bear  and  the  bear  looks  at  me.  —  I  climb  up  and  he  tries  to  catch 
me,  but  I  dodge  him  and  escape.  —  Proceed  on.  —  Find  a  hollow  fallen  tree, 
and  make  my  bed  in  the  interior.  —  Pleasant  sleep  unpleasantly  disturbed. 

—  My  fiiend  the  grizzly  again.  —  I  escape  up  a  tree,  and  Bruin  occupies  my 
bed.  —  We  try  each  other's  patience.  —  I  watch  for  an  opportunity  of  e8<»p- 
iug,  and  he  watches  to  catch  me 812-821 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

I  exhaust  Brnin's  patience.  —  Manu&ctures  some  flshing-linee,  and  descend  firom 
my  perch  in  the  tree.  —  Catch  a  big  fish  to  my  great  joy,  with  no  little 
trouble,  and  cook  it.  —  Many  a  slip  between  the  spit  and  the  lip.  —  My  fish 
is  admirably  dressed  but  disappears,  though  not  down  my  throat.  —  I  set  tc 
work  again  and  catch  more  fish.  —  Continue  my  journey  ;  am  almost  starved. 

—  My  ammunition  exhausted. — See  some  horses.  —  Fall  in  with  some  In- 
dians. —  They  prove  to  be  friends.  —  Accompany  me  on  my  journey,  and 
eonduct  me  to  the  camp  of  the  Raggets.  —  We  reach  California,  where  I  ter- 
minate the  adventures  which  I  now  give  U  the  public      ....    322-83( 


ADVENTURES   OF  DICK   ONSLOW. 

(Tii) 


CHAPTER  I. 

Jfy  friends  Hie  Raggets.  —  Our  proposed  migration.  —  Journey  <»■•- 
menced.  —  Attack  of  the  Indians.  —  A  shot  through  my  leg.  —  Horri' 
ble  anticipations.  —  Hide  in  a  bush.  —  Climb  a  tree.  —  My  thought$ 
in  my  concealment.  —  Listen  in  escpectation  of  an  attack.  —  Starving 
in  the  midst  of  plenty.  —  Some  one  approaches.  —  I  prepare  to  fire. 

In  few  countries  can  more  exciting  adventures  be 
met  with  than  in  Mexico,  and  the  southern  and 
western  portions  of  North  America ;  in  consequence 
of  the  constantly  disturbed  state  of  the  country, 
the  savage  disposition  of  the  Red  Indians,  and  the 
numbers  of  wild  animals,  buffaloes,  bears,  wolves, 
panthers,  jaguars,  not  to  speak  of  alligators,  rattle- 
snakes, and  a  few  other  creatures  of  the  like  nature. 
My  old  school-fellow,  Dick  Onslow,  has  just  come 
back  from  those  regions  ;  and  among  numerous  in- 
cidents by  flood  and  field  sufficient  to  make  a  timid 
man's  hair  stand  on  end  for  the  rest  of  his  days,  he 
recounted  to  me  the  following :  — 

After  spending  some  time  among  those  ill-con- 
ditioned cut-throat  fellows,  the  Mexicans,  I  returned 
to  the  States.  Having  run  over  all  the  settled 
parts,  of  which  I  got  .a   tolerable  birdseyo   view, 

(») 


10  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

I  took  it  into  my  head  that  I  should  like  to  sec 
something  of  real  backwoodman's  life.  Soon  get 
ting  beyond  railways,  I  pushed  right  through  the 
State  of  Missouri  till  I  took  up  my  abode  on  the 
yery  outskirts  of  civilization,  in  a  log-house,  with  a 
rough  honest  settler,  Laban  Ragget  by  name.  He 
had  a  wife  and  several  daughters  and  small  chil- 
dren, and  five  tall  sons,  Simri,  Joab,  Othni,  Eliliu, 
and  Obed,  besides  two  sisters  of  his  wife's  and  a 
brother  of  his  own,  Edom  Ragget  by  name.  1 
never  met  a  finer  set  of  people,  both  men  and 
women.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  see  the  lads  walk 
up  to  a  forest,  and  a  wonder  to  watch  how  the  tall 
trees  went  down  like  corn  stalks  before  tlie  blows; 
of  their  gleaming  axes.  They  had  no  idea  I  was 
a  gentleman  by  birth.  They  thought  I  was  the 
son  of  a  blacksmith,  and  they  liked  me  the  better 
for  it. 

Some  months  passed  away,  I  had  learned  to  use 
my  axe  as  well  as  any  of  them,  and  a  fine  large 
clearing  had  been  made,  when  the  newspapers,  of 
which  we  occasionally  had  one,  told  us  all  about 
the  wonderful  gold-diggings  in  California.  At  last 
we  talked  of  little  else  as  we  sat  round  the  big  fire 
in  the  stone  chimney  during  the  evenings  of  winter. 
Neighbors  dropped  in  and  talked  over  the  matter 
also.  There  was  no  doubt  money  was  to  be  made, 
and  quickly  too,  by  men  with  strong  arms  and  irot 
constitutions.     We  all  agreed  that  if  any  men  were 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  11 

fit  for  the  work,  we  were.  I  was  the  weakest  of  tho 
party,  do  ye  see.  (Dick  stands  five  feet  ten  in  his 
shoes,  and  is  as  broad-shouldered  as  a  drayman.) 

Just  tlien,  an  oldish  man  with  only  two  stout 
sons  and  a  small  family  drove  into  the  forest  with 
a  light  waggon  and  a  strong  team  of  liorses,  to  look 
about  him,  as  he  said,  for  a  location.  He  came  to 
our  house,  and  Laban  and  he  had  a  long  talk. 

"  Well,  stranger,"  said  Laban,  "  I  guess  you 
couldn't  do  better  than  take  my  farm,  and  give  me 
your  team  and  300  dollars  ;  I've  a  mind  to  go  fur- 
ther westward." 

The  offer  was  too  good  to  be  refused.  The  bar- 
gain was  struck,  and  in  two  days,  several  other  set- 
tlers having  got  rid  of  their  farms,  a  large  party  of 
us  were  on  our  way  to  cross  the  Rocky  Mountains 
for  California.  The  women,  cliildren,  and  stuff 
were  in  Laban's  two  waggons.  Other  settlers  had 
their  waggons  also.  The  older  men  rode ;  I,  with 
the  younger,  walked  with  our  rifles  at  our  backs, 
and  our  axes  and  knives  in  our  belts.  I  had,  be- 
sides, a  trusty  revolver,  which  had  often  stood  me 
in  good  stead. 

"We  were  not  over-delicate  when  we  started,  and 
we  soon  got  accustomed  to  the  hard  life  we  had  to 
lead,  till  camping-out  became  a  real  pleasure  rather 
than  an  inconvenience.  We  had  skin  tents  for  the 
older  men,  and  plenty  of  provisions,  and  as  we  kept 
along  the  banks  of  the  rivers  we  had  abundance  of 


12  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

grass  and  water  for  the  horses.  At  last  we  had  to 
leave  the  forks  of  the  Missouri  river,  and  to  follow 
a  track  across  the  desolate  Nebraska  country,  over 
which  the  wild  Pawnees,  Dacotas,  Omahas,  and 
many  otlier  tribes  of  red  men  rove  in  considerable 
numbers.  We  little  feared  them,  however,  and 
thought  much  more  of  the  herds  of  wild  buffaloes 
we  expected  soon  to  have  the  pleasure  both  of 
shooting  and  eating. 

We  had  encamped  one  night  close  to  a  wood  near 
Little  Bear  creek,  which  runs  into  the  Nebraska 
river.  The  following  morning  broke  with  wet  and 
foggy  weather.  It  would  have  been  pleasant  to 
have  remained  in  camp,  but  the  season  was  advanc- 
ing, and  it  was  necessary  to  push  on.  All  the  other 
families  had  packed  up  and  were  on  the  move, 
Laban's,  for  a  wonder,  was  the  last.  The  women 
and  children  •  were  already  seated  in  the  lighter 
waggon,  and  Obed  Ragget  and  I  were  lifting  the 
last  load  into  the  other,  and  looking  round  to  see 
that  notliing  was  left  behind,  when  our  ears  were 
saluted  with  the  wildest  and  most  unearthly  shrieks 
and  shouts,  and  a  shower  of  arrows  came  whistling 
about  our  ears.  "  Shove  on !  shove  on  !  "  we  shouted 
to  Simri  and  Joab,  who  were  at  the  horses'  heads, 
"  Never  mind  the  tent."  They  lashed  the  horses 
with  their  whips.  The  animals  plunged  forward 
with  terror  and  pain,  for  all  of  them  were  more  or 
loss  wounded.     We  were    sweeping  round  close 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  15 

to  the  edge  of  the  wood,  and  for  a  moment  lost 
sight  of  the  rest  of  the  party.  Then,  in  another 
instant,  I  saw  them  again  surrounded  by  Indian 
warriors,  with  plumes  and  feathers,  uplifted  hatch- 
ets, and  red  paint,  looking  very  terrible.  The 
women  were  standing  up  in  the  waggon  with  axes 
in  their  hands  defending  themselves  bravely.  A 
savage  had  seized  one  of  the  children  and  was. drag- 
ging it  off,  wlien  Mrs.  Ragget  struck  with  all  her 
might  at  the  Red  Skin's  arm,  and  cut  it  clean 
through ;  the  savage  drew  back  howling  with  pain 
and  rage.  Old  Laban  in  the  mean  time,  with  his 
brother  and  two  others,  kept  in  front,  firing  away 
as  fast  as  they  could  load  while  they  ran  on :  for 
they  saw  if  once  the  Red  Skins  could  get  hold  of 
the  horses'  heads,  they  would  be  completely  in  their 
power.  All  this  time  several  of  the  things  were 
tumbling  out  of  the  waggon,  but  we  could  not  stop 
to  pick  them  up.  Why  the  rest  of  the  party,  who 
wore  ahead,  did  not  come  back  to  our  assistance,  I 
could  not  tell.  I  thought  that  they  also  were  prob- 
ably attacked.  We  four  ran  on  for  some  way, 
keeping  the  Indians  at  a  respectable  distance,  for 
they  are  cowardly  rascals  —  notwithstanding  all 
the  praise  bestowed  on  them  —  if  courageouslj  op- 
posed. I  was  loading  my  rifle,  and  then  taking  aim 
at  four  mounted  Indians  who  appeared  on  the  right 
with  rifles  in  their  hands.  They  fired,  but  missed 
me,  as  I  meantime  was  dodging  them  behind  the 
8 


1 4  Dick  0ns fow  and  the  Red  Skins . 

waggon.  During  this,  I  did  not  see  where  Olwd 
was.  I  hit  one  of  them,  and  either  Simri  or  Joab, 
who  fired  at  the  same  time,  hit  another.  The  other 
twc  wheeled  round,  and  with  some  companions, 
hovered  about  us  at  some  little  distance.  Just  then, 
not  hearing  Obed's  voice,  I  looked  round.  He  was 
nowhere  to  be  seen.  I  was  shouting  to  his  brothers 
to  stop  and  go  back  with  me  to  look  for  him,  when 
half-a-dozen  more  Indians,  joining  the  others,  gal- 
loped up  at  the  same  moment  to  attack  the  head- 
most waggon.  Simri  and  Joab,  lashing  their 
horses,  rushed  on  to  the  assistance  of  their  family. 
The  savages  fired.  I  was  springing  on  when  I  fel* 
myself  brought  to  the  ground,  grasping  my  rifle, 
which  was  loaded.  A  shot  had  gone  right  through 
both  my  legs.  I  tried  with  desperate  struggles  to 
get  up,  but  could  not  lift  myself  from  the  ground. 
All  the  horror  of  my  condition  crowded  into  my 
mind.  To  be  killed  and  scalped  was  the  best  fate  I 
could  expect.  Just  as  I  was  about  to  give  way  to 
despair,  I  thought  I  would  make  an  attempt  to  save 
my  life.  From  my  companions  I  could  expect  no 
help,  for  even  if  they  succeeded  in  preserving  their 
own  lives  they  would  scarcely  be  in  a  condition  to 
come  back  and  rescue  me.  Poor  Obed  I  felt  pretty 
sure  must  kave  been  killed.  A  ismall  stream  with 
some  busies  growing  on  its  banks  was  near  at  hand. 
I  dragged  myself  toward  it,  and  found  a  pretty 
dose  place  of  concealment  behind  one  of  the  bush- 


An  Adventure  in  tht.  Far  West.  15 

es.  Thence  I  could  look  out.  The  waggons  were 
still  driving  along  furiously  across  the  prairie  with 
the  Indians  hovering  about  them  on  either  side, 
evidently  waiting  for  a  favorable  Hioment  to  renew 
the  attack.  Thus  the  whole  party,  friends  and  foes, 
vanished  from  my  sight  in  the  fog.  To  stay  where 
I  was  would  only  lead  to  my  certain  destruction, 
for  when  the  Indians  returned,  as  I  knew  they 
would,  to  carry  off  my  scalp,  the  trail  to  my  hiding- 
place  would  at  once  be  discovered.  I  felt,  too,  that 
if  I  allowed  my  wounds  to  grow  stiff,  I  might  not 
be  able  to  move  at  all.  Suffering  intense  agony, 
therefore,  I  dragged  myself  down  into  the  stream. 
It  was  barely  deep  enough  to  allow  me  to  swim  had 
I  had  strength  for  the  purpose,  and  crawl  I  thought 
1  could  not.  So  I  threw  myself  on  my  back,  and 
holding  my  rifle,  my  powder-flask,  and  revolver 
above  my  breast,  floated  down  till  I  reached  the 
wood  we  had  just  passed.  The  branches  of  the 
trees  hung  over  the  stream.  I  seized  one  which 
I  judged  would  bear  my  weight,  and  lifting  myself 
up  by  immense  exertion,  of  which,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  cooling  effects  of  the  water,  I  should  not 
have  been  capable,  I  crawled  along  the  bough.  I 
had  carefully  avoided  as  much  as  possible  disturt>- 
ing  the  leaves,  lest  the  Red  Skins  should  discover 
my  retreat.  I  worked  my  way  up,  holding  my 
rifle  in  my  teeth,  to  the  fork  of  the  branch,  and 
\hen   up   to   where  several  of  the   higher  boughft 


16  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Rf^d  Skins: 

branched  off  and  formed  a  nest  where  I  couhl 
remain  without  fear  of  falling  off.  I  was  completely 
concealed  by  the  thickness  of  the  leaves  from  being 
seen  by  any  one  passing  below,  and  I  trusted,  from 
the  precautions  I  had  taken,  that  the  Indians  would 
not  discover  my  trail.  Still,  such  cunning  rogues 
are  they,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  deceive 
them.  My  great  hope  was  that  they  might  not  find 
out  that  I  had  fallen,  and  so  would  not  come  to 
look  for  me.  As  I  lay  in  my  nest,  I  listened  atten- 
tively, and  thought  that  I  could  still  hear  distant 
shots,  as  if  my  friends  had  at  all  events  not  given 
in.  Still  it  might  only  have  been  fancy.  My 
wounds,  when  I  had  time  to  think  about  them, 
were  very  painful.  I.  bound  them  up  as  well  as  I 
could  —  the  water  had  washed  away  the  blood  and 
tended  to  stop  inflammation.  The  sun  rose  high  in 
the  heavens.  Not  a  sound  was  heard  except  the 
wild  cry  of  the  eagle  or  iite,  blending  with  the 
song  of  the  thrush  and  the  mocking-bird,  interrupt- 
ed every  now  and  then  by  the  impudent  observation 
of  a  stray  parrot  and  the  ominous  rattle  of  a  huge 
snake  as  it  wound  its  way  among  the  leaves.  Every 
moment  I  expected  to  hear  the  grunts  and  cries  of 
the  R(;d  Skins,  as  with  tomahawk  in  hand  they 
came  eagerly  searching  about  for  me.  I  durst  not 
move  to  look  around.  They  might  come  talking 
carelessly,  or  they  might  steal  about  in  dead  gr 
lence,  if  they  suspected  that  I  was  still  alive. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  17 

I  thus  passed  the  day.  I  did  sometimes  think 
that  I  should  have  been  wiser  had  I  remained  within 
the  bounds  of  civilization,  instead  of  wandering 
about  the  world  without  any  adequate  motive.  Tlio 
reflection,  too,  that  the  end  of  my  days  was  ap- 
proaching, came  sivddenly  upon  me  with  painful 
force.  How  had  I  spent  those  days  ?  I  asked  my- 
self. Wliat  good  had  I  done  in  tlie  world  ?  How 
had  I  employed  the  talents  committed  to  me.  I 
remembered  a  great  many  things  I  had  been  told 
as  a  child  by  my  mother,  and  which  had  never 
occurred  to  me  since.  The  more  I  thought,  the 
more  painful,  the  more  full  of  regrets  grew  my 
thoughts.  I  am  bound  to  tell  you  all  this.  I  am 
not  ashamed  of  my  feelings.  I  believe  those  thoughts 
dia  me  a  great  deal  of  good.  I  blessed  my  mother 
for  all  she  had  taught  me,  and  1  prayed  as  I  had 
never  prayed  before.  After  this  I  felt  mucli  com- 
forted and  better  prepared  for  death  than  I  had 
been  till  then.  The  day  passed  slowly  away.  Dark- 
ness came  on.  I  grew  very  hungry  and  faint,  for  I 
had  no  food  in  my  pocket,  and  had  taken  nothing 
since  morning.  Had  1  not  been  wounded,  that 
would  have  been  a  trifle,  I  had  often  gone  a  whole 
day  without  eating,  with,  perhaps,  a  lap  of  water 
every  now  and  then  from  a  cool  stream.  I  could 
not  sleep  a  wink  during  the  whole  night.  At  times 
I  hoped  that  if  my  friends  were  victorious,  they 
might  return  to  learn  what  had   become  of  poor 


18  Dick  Omlow  and  the  Red  5fetn* ; 

Obed  and  mc.  In  vain  was  the  hope.  The  night 
wore  on,  the  dawn  returned.  I  tried  to  stretch 
my  legs ;  I  found  that  I  could  not  move  them. 

Tiie  hours  of  the  next  day  passed  slowly  by  ;  I 
thought  I  heard  the  cries  and  shrieks  of  the  Red 
Skins  in  the  distance,  they  sejemed  to  draw  nearer 
and  nearer — they  were  entering  the  wood  —  yes, 
1  was  certain  of  it — tliey  got  close  up  to  my  tree 
—  as  I  looked  down,  I  saw  their  hideous,  malicious 
faces  gazing  np  at  me,  eager  for  my  destruction. 
Then  suddenly  I  became  aware  that  they  were  only 
creatures  of  my  imagination,  conjured  up  through 
weakness  and  hunger.  All  was  again  silent.  "  K 
this  state  of  things  continues,  I  shall  certainly  drop 
from  my  hold,"  I  thought.  Then  suddenly  I  re- 
membered that  I  had  some  tobacco  in  my  pocket. 
Edom  Ragget  had  handed  it  to  me  to  cut  up  for 
him.  I  put  a  piece  in  my  mouth,  and  chewed 
away  at  it.  I  felt  much  better.  The  evening 
came,  my  apprehensions  about  the  Indians  de- 
creased. Still  I  knew  that  if  I  once  got  down  the 
tree,  I  might  not  be  able  to  ascend  it  again,  and 
might  become  a  prey  to  wild  beasts  or  rattlesnakes, 
as  I  felt  that  I  could  not  stand  for  a  moment,  much 
less  walk  a  yard.  Having  fastened  my  rifle  to  a 
branch,  I  secured  one  of  my  arms  round  another, 
that  I  might  not  drop  off,  and  at  last  fell  into  a 
deep  sleep.  Next  morning  I  awoke,  feeling  much 
better,   though  very  hungry.      As   I  lay  without 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  19 

moving,  I  observed  a  racoon  playing  about  a  branch 
close  to  me.  "  Although  there  may  be  a  hundred 
Red  Skins  in  the  neighborhood,  I  must  have  that 
fellow  for  my  breakfast,"  I  said  to  myself.  I  re- 
leased my  rifle  and  fired.  Down  fell  the  racoon  at 
the  foot  of  the  tree.  "  He  is  of  no  use  to  me  un- 
less I  can  get  hold  of  him,  and  even  could  I  pick 
him  up,  I  must  eat  him  raw,  as  I  have  no  means 
of  lighting  a  fire  where  I  am,"  said  I  to  myself. 
While  this  thought  passed  rapidly  through  my 
mind,  I  heard  a  sound  at  some  distance.  It  was, 
I  felt  sure,  that  of  a  human  voice.  I  quickly  re- 
loaded my  rifle,  and,  with  my  finger  on  the  trigger, 
sat  in  readiness  for  whatever  might  occur. 


20  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 


CHAPTER  II. 

A  Friend  in  need.  —  How  two  people  may  live  while  one  mil  starve.  — 
Obed  goes  in  search  of  adventures,  and  I  awake  io  find  a  rattlesnake 
close  to  my  nose.  —  /  am  saved.  —  Obed  returns,  but  followed  by  a 
gentleman  whose  room  would  be  more  pleasant  than  his  company.  — 
Obed  cannot  fire,  and  I  cannot  run,  but  I  saved  him  by  silting  stilL 
—  We  anticipate  the  pleasure  of  dining  on  bear's  fiesh.  —  Obed 
fetches  and  carries  like  a  dog,  and  we  fare  stimptuously.  —  /  take 
to  crutches. —  We  collect  stores  and  make  a  tent.  —  A  Red  Skin 
visitor. 

I  KEPT,  as  I  was  saying,  my  finger  on  the  trigger, 
and  my  eye  along  the  barrel  of  my  rifle,  fully  ex- 
pecting to  see  a  Pawnee's  red  visage  appear  through 
the  bushes.  I  knew  that  the  dead  racoon  would 
betray  me  ;  so  I  resolved  to  fight  it  out  to  the  last, 
and  to  sell  my  life  dearly.  I  heard  footsteps  ap- 
proaching —  slowly  and  watchfully  1  thought :  I 
peered  down  out  of  my  leafy  cover ;  the  branches 
of  the  surrounding  shrubs  were  pushed  aside,  and 
there,  instead  of  the  feathers  and  red  face  of  an 
Indian,  I  saw  the  honest  countenance  of  young 
Obed  Ragget,  looking  cautiously  about  him  on 
every  side. 

"  Obed  !  Obed  !  I  am  here,"  I  sung  out,  "  come 
and  help  me,  lad."  He  sprang  on  when  he  heard 
my  voice. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  21 

"  What,  Dick !  is  that  you  ?  Well,  I  am  glad 
you  have  escaped,  that  I  am,"  he  exclaimed,  look- 
ing up  into  the  tree. 

"  So  am  I  to  see  you,"  I  cried,  "  but  help  mo 
down,  lad,  for  I  cannot  help  myself,  I  fear." 

"  That  is  more  than  I  can  do,"  said  he.  "  Look  ; 
the  Red  Skins  have  shot  me  through  both  arms, 
and  I  can  no  more  use  them  than  I  can  fly." 

I  now  observed  that  he  looked  very  pale  and 
weak,  and  that  both  his  arms  hung  down  uselessly 
by  his  side.  One  thing  also  I  saw,  that  as  he  could 
not  manage  to  get  up  to  me,  I  must  contrive  to 
descend  the  tree  to  meet  him.  Tearing,  therefore, 
a  neckhandkerchief  up  into  strips,  I  lowered  my 
gun  and  pistols  down  by  it,  and  tben  prepared  to 
descend  myself.  I  made  it  secure,  as  close  to  the 
trunk  as  I  could,  and  grasping  the  short  boughs, 
wbich  grew  out  from  the  trunk,  I  threw  my  chief 
weight  upon  them,  while  I  steadied  myself  with  the 
line  I  had  made  ;  keeping  my  useless  legs  stretched 
out,  lest  I  should  fall  on  them,  I  gradually  lowered 
myself  to  the  foot  of  the  tree.  We  could  not 
shake  hands,  but  we  greeted  each  other  most 
warmly.  Obed  complained  bitterly  of  thirst,  for 
he  had  not  moved  out  of  the  first  shelter  into 
which  he  had  crawled,  and  did  not  know  how  near 
the  stream  was.  I  accordingly  put  my  hat  into  his 
mouth,  and  told  him  to  stoop  down  where  the 
stream  was  deepest,  and  to  ladle  up  some  water. 


22  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

This  he  did,  and  then  kneeling  down  I  held  the 
hat  to  his  mouth,  while  he  drank.  I  took  a  draught 
myself,  and  never  have  I  enjoyed  so  much  the 
choicest  beverage  in  my  father's  house  as  I  did  that 
cool  draught.  I  now  pointed  to  the  racoon,  and 
asked  him  if  he  was  hungry. 

"  Very,"  was  his  answer.  "  I  could  eat  that 
brute  raw." 

"No  need  of  that,"  said  I;  "just  collect  ma- 
terials, and  we  will  quickly  have  a  fire."  Obed 
understood  me,  and  with  his  feet  soon  kicked  to- 
gether a  pile  of  sticks  and  leaves  sufficient  to  make 
a  good  fire.  I  had  a  flint  and  steel,  and  we  speedily 
had  the  racoon  spitted  and  roasting  on  some  forked 
sticks  before  it  in  proper  woodman's  style.  The 
food  revived  us  both,  and  restored  our  spirits.  We 
neither  of  us  were  inclined  to  despondency  ;  still 
we  could  not  help  thinking,  with  sad  feelings,  of 
what  might  have  befallen  our  friends,  and  what 
might  too  probably  be  our  own  fate.  As  Obed 
could  not  help  himself,  he  had  to  sit  down  close  to 
me  while  I  fed  him  ;  and  when  we  had  done,  he 
assisted  me  to  remove  myself  away  from  the  fire. 
I  then  dressed  his  wounds  as  well  as  I  could,  bath- 
ing them  freely  in  cold  water.  Some  sinews  were 
cut  through,  I  suspected,  which  prevented  him  from 
moving  his  arms,  but  no  bones  were  broken  ;  and, 
in  consequence  of  his  fine  constitution  and  temper- 
ate habit?,  I  trusted  that  he  would  recover  the  use 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  23 

of  them.  I  was  in  a  worse  condition,  for  both  my 
legs  were  so  much  hurt,  that  I  could  not  hope  to 
walk  on  them  for  many  weeks  to  come.  However, 
my  upper  limbs  were  in  good  case  ;  and  we  agreed, 
that  with  a  pair  of  strong  arms  and  stout  legs  be- 
tween us,  we  might  both  get  on  very  well.  Obed 
had  left  his  gun  in  the  thicket  into  which  he  nad 
dragged  it  when  he  fell.  It  was  discharged,  and  so 
he  went  for  it,  bringing  it  to  me  in  his  teeth,  that  I 
might  clean  and  reload  it.  As  he  could  not  use  it, 
he  left  it  by  my  side ;  and  we  had  now  our  two 
rifles,  and  his  and  my  revolver  pistols  ;  so  that  I 
felt,  with  my  back  to  a  tree,  cripple  as  I  was,  I 
might  prove  a  formidable  adversary  either  to  man 
or  beast.  While  Obed  and  I  sat  near  the  fire,  talk- 
ing over  our  prospects,  we  remembered  that  a 
number  of  things  had  dropped  from  the  waggons ; 
so  he  volunteered  to  set  out  in  order  to  discover 
whether  they  had  been  carried  off  by  the  Indians. 

"  Farewell,  Dick,"  said  he,  as  he  rose  to  go.  "  If 
I  don't  come  back,  you'll  know  those  varmint  Red 
Skins  have  got  my  scalp ;  but  though  I  can't  use 
my  arms,  they'll  find  I  can  use  my  legs  before  they 
catch  me." 

With  many  misgivings  I  saw  him  make  his  way 
out  of  the  thicket.  When  he  was  gone  I  lay  back 
with  my  head  on  my  arm,  thinking  over  many  of 
the  events  of  my  past  life,  and  contrasting  them 
with  my  present  condition,  till  at  length  my  eyes 


24  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

closed,  and  1  forgot  all  recent  events  in  sleep.  1 
believe  that  I  slept  very  soundly  without  stirring 
my  legs  or  arms.  At  last  my  eyes  slowly  opened, 
and  horrible  indeed  was  the  spectacle  which  met 
them.  The  embers  of  the  fire  were  before  me,  and 
close  to  it,  as  if  to  enjoy  its  warmth,  lay  coiled  up 
a  huge  rattlesnake  not  two  yards  from  me.  In  an 
instant  of  time  I  felt  that  its  deadly  fangs  might  be 
fixed  in  my  throat.  What  use  to  me  now  were  my 
firearms  ?  I  dared  not  move  my  hand  to  reach  my 
revolver.  I  knew  that  I  must  not  wink  even  an 
eyelid,  or  the  deadly  spring  might  be  made.  The 
snake  was,  I  dare  say,  nearly  six  feet  long.  It  had 
a  hody  almost  as  thick  as  my  leg  —  of  a  yellowish 
brown  color,  with  some  dark-brown  spots  reaching 
from  one  end  to  the  other ;  and  oh !  that  head,  as 
it  slowly  raised  it  with  its  vicious  eyes  to  liave  a 
look  at  me.  It  was  of  large  size,  flat,  and  covered 
with  scales.  I  gazed  at  the  rattlesnake,  and  the 
rattlesnake  gazed  at  me.  What  he  thought  of  me 
I  do  not  know  ;  I  thought  him  a  most  hideous  mon- 
ster, and  wished  him  anywhere  but  where  he  was. 
It  seemed  an  age  that  I  thus  lay,  not  daring  even 
to  draw  a  breath.  I  felt  at  last  that  I  must  give  up 
the  contest.  I  prayed  for  mercy.  The  oppression 
on  my  chest  became  almost  insupportable.  Still  1 
dared  not  move.  The  deadly  reptile  stretched  out 
its  head  —  slowly  it  began  to  uncoil  itself —  the 
dread  sound  of  its  rattle  struck  my  ear.    I  felt  that 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  25 

now  T  must  muster  all  my  nerve  and  resolution,  or 
be  lost ;  the  huge  reptile  stretched  itself  out  and 
slowly  crawled  on  —  oh,  horror !  —  it  passed  direct- 
ly over  my  wounded  legs !  Not  a  muscle  quivered. 
I  dared  not  look  up  to  ascertain  whether  it  was 
gone.  A  minute  must  have  elapsed  —  it  seemed  to 
me  a  much  longer  time ;  and  then,  and  not  till 
then,  a  shout  reached  my  ear.  It  was  the  voice  ot 
Obed.  Probably  the  snake  had  heard  it,  and  it  was 
that,  I  have  no  doubt,  which  made  him  move  away, 
ulider  the  belief  that  I  was  a  dead  person,  who  at 
all  events  could  do  him  no  harm.  My  first  impulse 
was  to  look  round  to  discover  what  had  become  of 
the  snake !  He  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  My  next 
was  to  turn  my  eyes  in  the  direction  whence  the 
shouting  proceeded.  There  I  saw  Obed  rushing 
along  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him  among  the 
trees. 

"  Be  ready  with  your  rifle,  Dick,"  he  shouted  out 
at  the  top  of  his  voice ;  "  not  a  moment  to  lose, 
man." 

I  fully  expected  to  see  half  a  dozen  Red  Skins- 
following  close  at  his  heels,  and  resolved  to  defend 
him  to  the  last,  and  to  sell  my  own  life  dearly, 
although  I  had  to  fight  on.  my  stumps,  when  the 
boughs  of  the  trees  were  torn  away  behind  him, 
and  a  huge  bear  appeared,  grinning  horribly,  in  a 
great  rage,  and  evidently  prepared  to  do  mischief 
to  somebody  or  something.     Had  Obed  been  able 


26  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

to  use  his  arms,  he  was  the  last  person  to  ha^'e 
placed  another  in  danger  for  the  sake  of  trying  to 
save  himself.  Now,  however,  he  had  no  choice  but 
to  run  behind  me  and  to  fire.  Bruin  trotted  on, 
growling  angrily.  He  was  one  of  those  long-head- 
ed, small-eyed  fellows,  with  pointed  nose,  clumsy 
body,  and  smooth,  glossy  black  hair,  which  have  a 
fancy  for  pork  and  ham,  and  will  put  their  paws 
into  a  corn  bin  if  they  find  it  open.  When  he  got 
near,  as  he  reared  up  on  his  hind  paws  ready  for  a 
fight,  and  came  on  toward  me,  I  grasped  my  rifle 
and  aimed  at  his  head.  If  I  missed  him,  I  should 
scarcely  have  had  time,  I  feared,  to  seize  Obed's 
rifle  before  he  would  have  been  upon  me.  I  knew 
that  his  body  was  so  encased  with  fat,  that  it  would 
be  difficult  to  wound  him  vitally  through  that.  I 
fired :  the  bullet  hit  him  in  the  head,  but  still  he 
came  on,  gnashing  his  teeth.  I  lifted  my  second 
rifle.  I  could  not  well  have  missed  him  had  I  been 
utanding  up  or  kneeling,  but  sitting,  as  I  was,  it 
was  difficult  to  take  a  steady  aim.  He  was  about 
ten  paces  off":  again  I  fired.  I  felt  sure  that  I  had 
not  missed,  but  with  a  terrific  growl  ho  bounded 
on  toward  me.  I  had  barely  time  to  grasp  a  re- 
volver when  he  was  close  up  to  me.  Already  I  felt 
his  hot  breath  in  my  face ;  his  huge  claws  had  hold 
of  my  limbs ;  he  was  trying  to  clasp  me  round  the 
body :  his  muzzle,  with  its  sharp  teeth,  touched  on 
my  shoulder.    Poor  Obed,  who  was  standing  behind 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  27 

me,  unable  to  render  me  assistance,  literally  shrieked 
with  fear,  not  for  himself,  but  for  me.  In  another 
moment  I  felt  that  I  must  be  torn  to  pieces.  I  mus- 
tered all  my  nerve.  It  was  much  wanted.  I 
waited  a  moment  till  I  could  aim  steadily  at  his 
head.  I  fired.  He  gave  me  a  terrific  hug.  It 
was  his  death  grapple.  As  it  was,  it  very  nearly 
squeezed  the  breath  out  of  my  body.  Then  he  rolled 
over  and  lay  motionless.  I  did  not  roll  after  him, 
but  lest  he  should  only  be  shamming  'coon,  I 
dragged  myself  as  far  off  as  I  could  to  reload  my 
weapons. 

"  No  fear,  Dick,  he's  dead,"  cried  Obed,  joyfully. 
"  Well,  you're  a  friend  at  a  pinch,  as  I  always 
thought  you." 

It  would  not  have  been  in  his  way  to  express  his 
thanks  by  more  than  this,  still  I  knew  by  his  looks 
that  he  was  grateful  to  me.  In  reality  I  had  only 
fought  in  self-defence,  so  I  do  not  know  that  he 
had  any  thing  to  thank  me  for. 

"  Old  Bruin  will  afford  us  many  a  good  dinner, 
at  all  events,  I  hope,"  said  I.  "  And  do  you  know, 
Obed,  you  and  the  bear  saved  my  life  just  now  be- 
tween you."  And  then  I  told  him  how  his  shouts 
had,  I  believed,  scared  away  the  rattlesnake.  "  So 
you  see,  old  fellow,  we  are  quits." 

Obed  having  ascertained  by  a  hearty  kick  that 
Bruin  was  really  dead,  I  attached  my  rope  to  his 
waist  and  then  to  the  bear,  and  by  its  means  we 


28  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

dragged  the  carcase  a  little  way  from  our  camping 
ground.  He  then  came  back  and  helped  me  along 
that  I  might  cut  some  steaks  for  our  supper.  We 
cooked  them  in  the  same  way  we  had  done  the 
racoon.  While  tlie  operation  was  going  forward  he 
gave  me  an  account  of  his  adventures.  He  had 
found  a  number  of  things  which  had  fallen  from 
the  waggon,  and,  wonderful  to  relate,  they  were 
untouched.  There  was  the  skin  tent  which  we  had 
not  put  into  the  waggon,  and  a  cask  of  flour  and 
one  of  beef,  and,  what  we  thought  of  still  more 
value,  a  bag  of  bullets  and  some  small  shot,  and  a 
keg  of  powder,  besides  another  rifle  and  an  axe  ; 
while  further  on,  he  said  that  there  were  several 
other  smaller  articles  along  the  road  the  waggon 
had  gone.  It  was  close  to  the  cask  of  flour  he  had 
encountered  Bruin,  who  had  undoubtedly  been  at- 
tracted to  the  spot  with  the  hope  of  appropriating 
it.  One  prize  Obed  brought  in  his  mouth  ;  it  was  a 
tin  saucepan,  and  very  valuable  we  found  it.  Our 
difficulty  was  now  to  collect  all  these  things.  Obed 
offered  to  try  and  drag  them  together  to  one  spot, 
if  he  could  but  manage  to  hook  himself  on  to 
tliem.  That  day  we  could  do  nothing ;  so  that 
after  he  had  collected  a  large  supply  of  fire-wood, 
we  placed  our  backs  to  a  tree  and  commended  our- 
selves to  the  care  of  that  great  God  who  had  so 
mercifully  preserved  our  lives.  We  agreed  that 
one  should  watch  while  the  other  slept,  and  most 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  29 

faithfully  did  we  keep  our  pledge  to  each  other. 
Several  days  passed  without  any  great  variation  in 
our  mode  of  proceeding.  We  cut  the  bear  up  into 
thin  slices,  and  dried  them  in  the  sun.  Obed  also 
went  round  about  the  wood  and  drove  in  the  wild 
turkeys,  racoons,  squirrels,  and  other  small  game, 
which  I  shot.  We  were  thus  supplied  with  meat. 
There  were  also  plenty  of  herbs,  the  nature  of 
which  both  he  and  I  knew,  and  which,  though  not 
of  delicate  flavor,  were  wholesome,  and  helped  to 
keep  us  in  health.  The  weather  also  was  very  fine, 
and  thus  several  days  passed  away.  At  last  I  be- 
thought me  that  if  I  could  make  a  pair  of  crutches, 
I  might,  with  Obed's  help,  get  over  the  ground. 
Two  young  saplings,  toward  which  1  dragged  my- 
self, were  soon  cut  down,  and  in  a  couple  of  days  I 
was  once  more  upright.  I  could  only  at  first  move 
very  slowly,  and  with  great  dread  of  falling ;  but 
by  constant  practice,  in  the  course  of  a  week  I 
thought  I  might  venture  out  of  the  wood.  Obed's 
arms  were  also  gaining  strength,  and  one  of  them 
he  could  already  use  a  little,  and  was  thus  enabled 
to  help  me.  I  slung  the  rifles  over  his  back,  and, 
sticking  the  revolvers  in  my  belt,  off  we  set  to- 
gether. We  moved  slowly,  but  still  we  went  ahead. 
At  last  we  reached  the  tent.  It  struck  us  at  once 
that  it  would  be  well  to  pitch  it  where  it  lay  on  our 
old  camping  ground.  Wherever  we  might  be,  In- 
dians would  find  us  out,  so  that  it  would  make  no 
«* 


so  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

difference  whether  we  were  in  or  out  of  the  wood, 
and  we  might  see  either  emigrants  to  California 
moving  west,  or  the  post  to  one  of  the  forts,  and 
thus  obtain  assistance.  Obed  and  I  soon  got  \\\> 
the  tent.  I  sat  down,  and  he  made  his  shoulders 
serve  as  a  prop  while  I  stuck  in  the  pole,  and  thus 
in  a  few  minutes  we  had  a  comfortable  roof  over 
our  heads. 

While  we  were  at  work,  it  struck  me  that  if  1 
could  make  a  sort  of  sleigh,  it  would  facilitate  the 
operation  of  bringing  in  our  goods.  I  set  to  work 
immediately,  and,  in  the  course  of  two  days,  manu- 
factured a  machine  which  answered  our  purpose. 
The  season  was  advancing,  the  nights  were  getting 
cold,  and  there  was  no  time  to  be  lost  in  collecting 
the  articles  which  we  might  require  to  preserve  our 
lives  through  the  winter,  should  no  one,  before  it 
set  in,  pass  that  way  to  rescue  us.  Accordingly, 
we  once  more  proceeded  on  our  expedition.  Some- 
times I  walked  on  my  crutches,  and  at  others,  Obed 
dragged  me  along  on  the  sleigh.  Certainly  we 
were  a  notable  example  of  the  advantage  of  two 
people  working  in  concert.  Alone  we  must  have 
perished  :  together,  though  injured  so  severely,  we 
were  able  to  live  and  comfort  each  other.  We 
never  had  even  the  slightest  dispute  ;  and  though 
surrounded  by  difficulties  and  dangers,  and  anxious- 
about  our  friends,  we  were  far  from  unhappy.  I 
have  often  thought  that  if  people  who  are  living  in 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  81 

the  midst  of  all  sorts  of  luxuries  and  advantages, 
would  but  follow  the  example  of  Obed  Ragget  and 
me,  they  would  be  very  much  the  happier. 

Our  first  care  was  to  get  the  kegs  of  powder  and 
shot,  for  our  stock  was  almost  exhausted  ;'  and  with 
those,  and  a  bundle  of  blankets,  we  returned  to  our 
tent. 

To  make  a  long  story  short,  in  the  course  of  a 
week  we  had  collected  every  thing  to  be  seen  ;  and 
had  settled  ourselves  very  comfortably  in  our  new 
home.  We  also  surrounded  our  tent  with  stacks  of 
fire-wood,  which  would  serve  as  a  barricade  should 
we  be  attacked,  at  any  time,  by  the  Red  Skins. 

The  exertion  we  went  through,  however,  had  fa- 
tigued us  excessively,  and  opened  our  wounds 
afresh  ;  so  that  for  some  days  we  were  unable  to 
quit  the  precincts  of  our  tent.  We  liad  made  our- 
selves beds,  by  placing  sticks  close  together  on  the 
ground,  and  covering  them  with  leaves,  over  which 
we  spread  our  blankets  ;  and  we  agreed,  as  we  lay 
stretclied  out  on  them,  that  we  were  much  better 
off  than  many  poor  fellows  who  had  not  beds  to  lie 
on.  I  crawled  out  occasionally  to  light  the  fire, 
and  to  cook  our  food,  while  Obed  had  to  go  to  the 
river  to  get  water.  To  prevent  the  necessity  of 
doing  this  so  frequently,  after  we  were  both  a  little 
rested,  we  emptied  our  beef  cask,  and  carried  it 
down  on  the  sleigh  to  the  river,  that  we  might  fill 
it  with  water.     This  being  done,  we  found  that  we 


82  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

had  over-calculated  our  strength,  and  had  once 
more  to  take  to  our  beds.  Several  days  more 
passed  away,  during  which  we  scarcely  moved. 
Obed,  too,  had  become  very  silent.  I  saw  that 
something  was  passing  in  his  mind.  After  a  time 
I  asked  him  what  it  was. 

"Why,  Dick,"  said  he,  "I'm  thinking  that 
though  we  seem  to  have  a  good  supply  of  food,  it 
won't  last  two  hungry  fellows  all  the  winter,  even 
if  we  were  to  put  ourselves  on  half  allowance.  Now 
my  arms  will  soon  be  well,  and  if  I  could  make  my 
way  to  one  of  the  forts,  I  might  bring  you  assistance. 
I'll  take  a  supply  of  powder  and  shot,  and  keep  my 
eyes  open  to  look  out  for  the  Red  Skins.  What  do 
you  say  to  it  ?  " 

I  told  him  that  I  did  not  like  the  idea  of  his  run- 
ning so  great  a  risk  for  my  sake. 

"  Oh,  don't  fear  for  me,"  he  replied  ;  "  it's  right 
that  it  should  be  done,  I'm  certain  of  that,  so  I'll 
do  it." 

I  said  nothing  more.  I  knew  when  Obed  thus 
expressed  himself,  he  was  in  earnest.  Several  more 
days  rolled  slowly  by.  We  slept  a  good  deal  in  the 
daytime  ;  perhaps  under  our  circumstances  it  was 
the  best  thing  we  could  do.  One  afternoon,  I  had 
been  asleep  some  time,  and  Obed  was  snoring  away 
on  the  other  side  of  the  tent,  when  I  opened  my 
eyes,  and  then  I  saw,  glaring  at  me  through  the 
doorway  of  the  tent,  the  hideous  countenance  of  a 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  £8 

Red  Skin  warrior,  horribly  covered  with  paint  and 
decked  with  colored  feathers.  While  with  his  left 
hand  he  lifted  up  the  curtain,  in  his  right  he 
grasped  his  tomahawk,  which  quivered  with  \ua 
eagerness  to  take  possession  of  our  scalps. 


84  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Shim : 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Bed  Skin  proves  to  be  a  friend.  —  He  and  Obed  leave  me  alone  m 
my  glory.  —  I  fortify  myself  for  the  winter.  —  Visited  by  Wolves.  — 
A  terrific  storm.  —  Tlie  wolves  my  nightly  visitors.  —  /  kiU.  some  and 
eat  them,  but  find  them  o'er  teuch.  —  An  object  moving  in  the  distance. 
—  Red  Skins  and  enemies.  —  /prepare  for  tlteir  reception.  —  /  kill 
one  of  them.  —  A  fearful  struggle.  —  /  endeavor  to  obliterate  the 
signs  of  tliis  visit.  —  My  terrible  solitude.  —  More  wolves  and  more 
Indians.  —  /  prepare  a  banquet  for  them.  —  Tlte  suspicions  of  my 
guests  aroused.  —  The  unpleasant  termination  to  our  feast. 

Obed  and  I  were  not  easily  taken  by  surprise. 
Our  hands  instinctively  clutched  our  rifles,  and  in 
a  moment  the  breast  of  the  Indian  was  covered  by 
their  muzzles.  The  eye  of  the  Red  Skin  did  not 
quail  —  not  a  limb  trembled.  He  gazed  on  us 
calmly,  and  his  hand  continued  to  hold  aside  the 
skin  which  formed  the  door  of  our  tent,  while  he 
spoke  a  few  words  in  a  low,  quiet  voice.  I  did  not 
understand  them,  but  Obed  did. 

"  Don't  fire,  Dick,"  said  Obed  ;  "  he  is  a  Dela- 
ware, a  friend  to  the  white  men.  Come  in,  friend 
Delaware,  take  your  seat  by  our  fire,  and  tell  us 
what  has  brought  you  here,"  continued  Obed,  ad- 
dressing the  Indian. 

The  Delaware,  letting  drop  the  skin  door,  came 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  36 

in,  and,  stirring  up  the  embers  of  our  almost  ex- 
tinguished fire,  sat  himself  down  on  a  log  of  wood 
placed  before  it.  He  spoke  a  jargon  which  he 
thought  was  English,  and  which  both  Obed  and  I 
understood,  but  which  I  cannot  now  repeat  any 
more  than  I  could  convey  an  idea  of  the  deep  gut- 
tural tones  of  his  voice.  They  seemed  to  come 
from  the  very  depths  of  his  inside. 

"  I  travel  alone,"  said  the  Red  Skin.  "  I  have 
a  long  journey  to  perform,  to  carry  a  letter  I  have 
undertaken  to  deliver  at  Fort  Grattan.  I  was  be- 
ginning to  despair  of  accomplishing  it,  for  my  pow- 
der has  been  destroyed,  and  thus  food  was  diflficult 
to  obtain.  When  I  first  saw  the  smoke  of  your 
fire,  I  thought  it  might  come  from  the  wigwams  of 
some  Pawnees,  and  my  heart  bounded  when  I  saw 
from  its  appearance  that  your  tent  must  belong  to 
white  men."  From  this  hint  given,  Obed  at  once 
placed  a  supply  of  food  before  the  Indian,  who  did 
ample  justice  to  it.  We  then  lighted  our  pipes, 
and  all  three  sat  smoking  over  the  fire.  The  Dela- 
ware urgently  advised  us  not  to  attempt  to  spend 
the  approaching  winter  in  that  place,  but  to  accom- 
pany him  to  the  fort.  I  saw  the  soundness  of  his 
counsel,  but  assured  him  that  I  could  not  attempt 
to  walk  half-a-dozen  miles,  much  less  could  I  iiope 
to  make  so  long  a  journey. 

"  Then  it  is  better  that  one  should  come  and 
bring  back  succor   to  the  other  than   that  both 


86  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

ghoul d  perisli,"  urged  the  Delaware.  To  this  I 
agreed,  and  told  Obed  he  must  go.  He  had  been 
ready  to  go  alone  when  the  risk  was  greater ;  but 
now  he  did  not  like  to  leave  me.  I  met  all  his 
arguments,  and  telling  him  that  if  he  wished  to 
save  my  life,  as  well  as  his  own,  he  must  go,  I  ulti- 
mately made  him  consent  to  accompany  the  Indian. 
Before  starting,  they  took  every  means  to  increase 
my  comforts.  They  filled  the  water-casks,  collected 
a  quantity  of  herbs,  and  a 'supply  of  fire-wood,  and 
shot  as  much  game  as  I  could  consume  while  it  was 
fresh.  The  Delaware  lay  down  to  sleep  that  night 
in  our  tent.  I  was  convinced  from  his  manner 
and  mode  of  speaking  that  he  was  honest.  I  never 
saw  a  man  sleep  more  soundly  —  not  a  limb  stirred 
the  whole  night  through  ;  he  looked  more  like  a 
dead  person,  or  a  lay  figure,  than  a  being  with  life. 
Suddenly,  as  the  morning  light  broke  through  the 
tent,  he  sprang  up,  and,  shaking  himself,  in  a  mo- 
ment was  all  energy  and  activity.  "  Uh  !  I  have 
not  slept  so  soundly  for  many  anight,  and  may  not 
sleep  so  soundly  for  many  a  night  more,"  he  ex- 
claimed, in  his  peculiar  dialect.  We  lighted  our 
fire,  boiled  our  kettle,  and  then  all  three  sat  down 
to  a  hearty  breakfast.  It  was  the  last  I  should 
probably  take  in  company  for  many  a  weary  day  ; 
still  I  resolved  not  to  be  down-hearted,  and  espec- 
ially to  preserve  a  serene  and  contented  counte- 
nance. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  37 

The  Delaware  replenished  his  powder  flask,  and, 
taking  a  small  supply  of  provisions,  he  and  Obed 
bade  me  farewell.  I  could  only  wring  the  latter's 
hand ;  I  don't  think  we  exchanged  a  word  at  part- 
ing. I  watched  them  as  their  figures  grew  less  and 
less,  and  finally  disappeared  in  the  distance,  and 
then  indeed  I  felt  very  lonely.  Perhaps  there  was 
not  a  human  being  within  a  hundred  miles  of  me, 
except  the  two  who  had  just  gone  away  ;  or  should 
there  be,  he  was  very  likely  to  prove  an  enemy. 
The  idea  of  being  thus  alone  in  a  wilderness  was 
grand,  but  it  was  somewhat  appalling  and  trying  to 
the  nerves.  How  long  would  Obed  be  absent  ?  I 
thought  to  myself.  Three  weeks  or  a  month  at 
shortest.  Could  I  manage  to  preserve  existence 
for  that  length  of  time  ?  I  was  still  weak  and  ill, 
and  could  scarcely  crawl  about,  so  I  spent  the 
greater  portion  of  my  time  on  my  couch.  I  placed 
my  fire-arms  close  at  hand  around  me,  so  that  I 
might  seize  them  in  a  moment.  My  fire-place  was 
a  hole  in  the  middle  of  the  tent,  almost  within 
reach  of  my  skin-covered  couch  ;  there  were  no 
linen  sheets  to  catch  fire ;  my  tub  of  water  was 
near  it,  and  my  stock  of  provisions  hung  overhead. 
The  sky  I  saw  when  I  looked  out  had  for  some  days 
been  giving  indications  of  a  snow-storm.  It  came 
at  last,  and  winter  set  in.  The  drifting  snow 
quickly  found  its  way  through  the  minutest  hole  in 
the  tent  skins.     To  prevent  this,  I  beat  it  down 

4 


88  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Rrd  Skins: 

firmly  all  round  the  edge,  stopping  every  crevice, 
and  I  raised  a  pile  of  logs  before  the  door.  "  I 
don't  think  I  should  mind  a  fight  with  a  dozen  Red 
Skins,"  I  thought  to  myself;  "  but  those  wolves, — 
I  don't  like  them."  The  wolves  I  dreaded  (and 
not  without  reason)  found  me  out  at  last.  The 
wind  was  roaring  and  whistling  among  the  leafless 
trees,  the  snow  was  beating  against  my  tent,  and 
the  night  was  as  dark  as  Erebus,  when  a  low  distant 
howl  saluted  my  ears  —  heard  even  above  the  tem- 
pest. It  continued  increasing,  till  it  broke  into  a 
wild  chorus  of  hideous  shrieks,  I  had  no  dread  of 
ghostly  visitors.  I  would  rather  have  faced  a  whole 
array  of  the  most  monstrous  hobgoblins,  than  have 
felt  that  I  was  surrounded,  as  I  knew  I  was,  by  a 
herd  of  those  brutes  —  the  wolves. 

Till  almost  morning  they  continued  their  ugly 
concert ;  but  they  have  a  natural  fear  of  man,  and 
it  is  only  when  pressed  by  hunger  that  they  will 
attack  him.  The  ground,  however,  was  now  com- 
pletely covered  with  snow,  and  I  knew  that  they 
would  find  but  little  food.  As  I  could  not  venture 
out,  most  of  the  day  passed  away  in  a  half- 
unconscious  dreamy  state  ;  part  of  it  I  slept.  The 
next  night  I  was  awoke  soon  after  dark  by  the 
wolfish  chorus ;  it  was  much  nearer  than  before. 
The  sounds  formed  themselves  into  words  to  my 
disordered  senses.  "  We'll  eat  you  up ;  we'll  eat 
you  up  ere  long,"  they  appeared  to  say.     A  third 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  39 

night  came.  The  pack  seemed  increased  in  num- 
bers, as  if  they  had  been  collecting  li-om  every 
quarter.  I  fancied  that  I  could  hear  their  feet 
crackling  on  the  crisp  snow  as  they  scampered 
round  and  round  the  tent.  That  night  they 
brought  their  circle  closer  and  closer,  till  I  fully ^ 
expected  that  they  would  commence  their  attack. 
Still  they  held  off,  and  with  the  morning  light  took 
their  departure.  I  watched  the  next  night  setting 
in  with  a  nervous  dread.  As  soon  as  darkness 
spread  over  the  snow-covered  face  of  the  country, 
on  the  horrid  pack  came,  scampering  up  from  all 
quarters. 

Nearer  and  nearer  approached  the  cries  and 
howls.  They  commenced  as  before,  scampering 
round  the  tent,  and  every  time  it  seemed  narrow- 
ing the  circle.  I  knew  that  they  must  be  closer  to 
me,  I  stirred  up  my  fire  with  a  long  stick  I  kept 
by  me  for  that  purpose,  and  I  felt  sure  I  saw  the 
impression  of  their  noses,  as,  having  smelt  me  out, 
they  pressed  them  against  the  sides  of  the  tent  in 
their  endeavors  to  find  an  entrance.  I  looked  for 
the  biggest  bump,  and  took  aim  with  my  revolver. 
There  was  a  loud  snarl  and  cry,  and  tlien  a  shriek- 
ing and  howling  as  the  horrid  pack  scampered  off 
into  the  distance.  I  had  to  get  up  and  patch  the 
hole  made  by  ray  bullet,  but  I  did  not  look  out  to 
see  what  had  become  of  the  wolf  I  had  hit.  I  heard 
the  animals  howling  away  the  livelong  night  in  the 


40  Dick  Otisluw  and  the  Red  Skins : 

distance.     They  did   not,  however,  venture   back 
again  that  night. 

I  had  now  been  ten  days  alone,  as  I  knew  by  a 
small  bag  I  kept,  into  which  I  every  day,  when  I 
awoke,  put  a  bean.  I  should  completely  have  lost 
count  of  time  without  some  such  contrivance.  Tiie 
cold  was  becoming  very  bitter  ;  still  my  health  was 
improving,  and  I  felt  myself  stronger  tlian  I  had 
been  since  I  was  wounded.  The  perfect  rest  had 
tended  to  cure  me.  I  tliought  that  I  would  get  up 
and  walk  about,  to  recover  more  completely  the 
use  of  my  limbs.  It  was  necessary  to  replenish  my 
stock  of  water  before  the  stream  was  completely 
frozen  over,  as  snow-water  is  not  considered  whole- 
some for  a  continuance.  I  had  plenty  of  clothes 
and  skins,  and  I  required  them,  for  a  piercing  wind 
blew  across  the  wild  prairie,  which,  unless  thus 
protected,  I  could  not  have  faced.  The  exercise 
did  me  good.  I  now  went  out  every  day,  con- 
stantly returning  to  feed  my  fire  and  to  warm  my- 
self. I  replenislied  my  stock  of  water,  and  got  a 
further  supply  of  wood,  that  I  might  not  run  short 
of  that  necessary  article.  I  was  most  concerned 
about  my  provisions,  which  were  diminishing  sadly. 
I  therefore  always  took  my  rifle  out  with  me,  in 
the  hopes  of  getting  a  shot  at  a  stray  buffalo  or 
deer  going  south,  but  all  had  gone  ;  none  passed 
near  me.  The  woods,  too,  were  now  deserted  ;  not 
a  bird  was  to  be  seen  ;  even  the   snakes  and  the 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West,  41 

'coons  had  hid  themselves  in  their  winter  habita- 
tions. A  dead  silence  reigned  over  the  whole 
country  during  the  day.  I  wish  it  had  equally 
reigned  during  the  night.  Daylight  and  the  smoke 
of  my  fire  kept  the  wolves  away,  but  night  after 
night  they  came  back  and  howled  as  before.  I 
used  at  last  to  sleep  some  hours  every  day,  and  sit 
up  all  night  with  my  pistols  by  my  side,  ready  to 
shoot  them.  Now  and  then  the  grinning  jaws  of 
one  of  them  would  force  its  way  in  at  the  entrance 
of  the  tent.  I  seldom  passed  a  night  without  kill- 
ing one  or  two  of  these  intruders.  I  every  morning 
cut  off  what  I  thought  would  prove  the  tenderest 
portion,  and  dragged  the  rest  of  the  carcass  away. 
I  would  not,  however,  advise  anybody  to  feed  upon 
wolf's  flesh  if  they  can  get  any  thing  better.  More 
tough  and  nauseous  morsels  I  never  attempted  to 
swallow  ;  but  it  was  necessary  to  economize  the 
rest  of  my  provisions. 

I  one  day  went  out  as  usual  to  exercise  my  limbs 
and  look  for  a  chance  shot.  There  was  a  fine  clear 
sky  overhead,  not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring,  and 
my  blood  was  soon  in  circulation.  I  felt  more  up 
to  any  thing  than  I  had  done  for  a  long  time.  I 
reached  the  only  elevation  in  the  neighborhood, 
near  the  bank  of  the  creek,  when  turning  my 
glance  round  on  every  side,  I  saw  in  the  far  dis- 
tance toward  the  north-west,  two  specks  on  the 
surface  of  the  dazzling  expanse  of  white  spread  out 
4« 


42  Dick  Onsloio  and  the  Red  &cins : 

before  me.  I  watched  —  the  specks  were  moving, 
they  might  be  deer,  or  they  might  be  wolves,  but 
from  the  way  tliey  progressed  I  had  little  doubt 
they  were  men.  They  came  from  a  quarter  I  did 
not  like,  inhabited  by  Dacotas  and  Pawnees  — 
treacherous,  thievish  rascals,  who  will  take  the 
scalp  of  an  old  woman  if  they  can  catch  her  asleep, 
and  make  as  much  boast  of  it  as  if  they  had  killed 
a  warrior  in  open  fight.  Still  it  was  necessary  to 
be  on  my  guard  against  them.  I  waited  till  I  as- 
certained without  doubt  that  they  were  human 
beings,  and  then  hastened  back  to  my  tent,  made 
up  my  fire  so  that  the  smoke  might  be  seen  coming 
out  at  the  top,  put  a  buflalo  robe  inside  my  bed  to 
personate  myself,  and  loaded  myself  with  all  my 
fire-arms.  I  then  carefully  closed  the  entrance  of 
the  tent,  and  stepped  back  over  the  marks  I  had 
previously  made,  till  I  reached  the  bank  of  tiie 
stream,  where  I  found  ample  shelter  beliind  a 
clump  of  thick  bushes,  I  there  lay  between  two 
heaps  of  snow  with  my  rifle  ready,  perfectly  con 
cealed,  but  having  a  clear  view  of  my  tent  and  the 
country  beyond.  If  the  strangers  should  prove  to 
be  friends,  as  the  precautions  had  given  mc  but 
little  trouble,  it  was  wiser  to  take  them,  but  if 
enemies  they  were  very  necessary.  When  they 
were  still  a  long  way  ofif,  I  made  out  that  the 
strangers  were  Red  Skins.  Their  costume  showed 
me  that  they  belonged  to  the  tribes  I  have  men- 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  43 

tioned,  and  I  had  no  doubt  tliat  they  had  coma 
with  hostile  intent.  They  stopped,  and  I  saw  by 
their  gestures  that  they  were  forming  their  plan 
of  proceeding.  One  was  an  oldish  man,  the  other 
was  a  tall  active  lad  ;  either  would  give  me  con- 
siderable difficulty  to  manage  if  it  came  to  a  hand- 
to-hand   struggle. 

They  were  armed  only  with  bows  and  arrows  and 
spears.  They  pointed  to  the  smoke,  and  the  elder 
signified  that  1  was  asleep  within,  or  cooking  my 
dinner.  He  then  fixed  an  arrow  in  his  bow,  and 
by  his  gestures  I  suspected  that  he  was  saying  he 
would  shoot  me  through  the  tent  covering  before  I 
had  time  to  seize  my  fire-arms  or  see  my  enemies. 
"  I'm  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  good  inten- 
tions, but  I  will  try  and  frustrate  them,  my  friends," 
said  I  to  myself.  The  elder  of  the  two  Red  Skins 
now  approached  the  tent,  witli  his  bow  drawn  ready 
to  send  an  arrow  into  the  inmate  sliould  he  appear 
at  the  entrance  ;  the  other  searched  carefully  round 
the  tent  and  examined  the  traces  of  my  feet  in  the 
snow.  He  seemed  apparently  satisfied  that  the 
owner  had  gone  to  the  stream  and  returned  and 
was  within.  The  two  now  got  still  nearer  to  the 
tent,  with  their  bows  drawn  ;  so  cautiously  did  they 
tread  that  not  a  sound  could  be  heard.  They 
stopped,  and  eagerly  shot  several  arrows  through 
the  covering,  one  after  the  other  as  rapidly  as  they 
could  fix  them  to  the  strings  of  their  bows.     "  And 


t4  Dick  Omhw  and  the  Red  Skint . 

so  you  think  tliat  you  have  killed  your  prey,"  Btiid 
I  to  myself,  but  at  the  same  time  a  sickening  sensa- 
tion came  over  my  heart.  I  had  never  shot  at  a 
human  being  with  the  intention  of  taking  away 
life ;  I  must  do  so  now  or  become  the  victim  my- 
self. The  savages  listened.  Of  course  no  sound 
from  within  reached  their  ears.  Tlie  elder  stooped 
forward  to  draw  aside  the  curtain  to  look  in  while 
the  other  stood  ready  with  his  spear  to  transfix  the 
person  who  they  might  expect  would  attempt  to 
spring  out  if  he  had  not  been  killed.  Now  I 
thought  I  must  fire.  I  took  aim  at  the  older  In- 
dian. In  doing  so  the  barrel  of  my  rifle  touched  a 
twig.  The  younger  savage  in  a  moment  detected 
the  sound  •  he  turned  round  full  on  me.  His  quick 
eye  caught  sight  of  my  rifle  as  I  instantly  brought 
it  to  bear  on  him.  He  uttered  an  exclamation  of 
astonishment.  It  was  his  last.  I  fired,  and  he  fell 
with  his  face  forward.  His  companion  sprang  ^^ 
and  was  about  to  rush  toward  me,  but  I  pulled  the 
trigger  of  my  second  barrel  and  he  too  fell  writhing 
in  agony  on  the  snow.  But  oh  !  how  wretched  I 
felt  at  what  stern  necessity  had  compelled  me  to 
do.  How  must  Cain  have  felt  when  he  had 
killed  his  brother  ?  I  rushed  up  to  my  tent.  Tlie 
younger  savage  was  quite  dead  :  the  elder  glared 
at  me  fierjely.  Though  badly  wounded,  still  ho 
might  live.  I  leaned  over  him  and  made  signs 
Nhat  I  would  take  him  into  my  ient  and  try  and 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  45 

heal  him.  A  gleam  of  satisfaction  came  over  his 
countenance  —  I  thought  it  was  from  gratitude  at 
my  mercy.  I  was  preparing  to  drag  him  into  the 
tent  and  to  place  him  on  my  own  couch.  I  felt 
1  was  doing  what  was  right.  I  should  gain 
a  companion  in  my  solitude,  perhaps  make  a 
friend,  who  would  enable  me  to  escape  from  my 
perilous  position.  His  eye  followed  me  as  I  moved 
about  making  the  necessary  preparations.  He 
beckoned  me  to  come  and  lift  him  up.  I  was  put- 
ting my  arm  behind  him  when  his  right  hand  drew 
a  long  knife  with  a  flash  from  his  belt,  and  before  I 
could  spring  back  he  had  struck  twice  with  all  his 
force  at  my  breast,  wounding  me  severely.  It  was 
not  his  fault  that  he  did  not  pierce  me  to  the  heart. 
So  firm  a  grasp  did  his  other  hand  retain  of  my 
collar  that  I  could  not  escape  him.  I  had  my  own 
hunting-knife  beneath  my  buffalo  robe,  my  fingers 
clutched  it,  and,  as  catching  his  right  arm  I  pressed 
it  to  the  ground,  I  struck  two  or  three  blows  with 
all  my  might  at  his  throat  and  chest,  I  felt  his  fin- 
gers relaxing ;  his  arm  fell  back  —  he  too  was 
dead.  I  would  rather  not  dwell  on  that  awful  mo- 
ment. The  horrors  of  my  solitude  were  increased 
ten-fold.  Still  I  was  obliged  to  rouse  myself  to 
action.  I  knew  not  how  many  of  the  tribe  to 
which  the  dead  men  belonged  might  be  in  the 
neighborhood. 
That    evening,    however,   I   could    Jo   nothing. 


46  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

Night  was  coming  on,  and  the  blood  which  trickled 
down  my  breast  reminded  me  that  I  must  attend 
to  my  own  wounds.  If  my  former  nights  had  been 
full  of  horrors,  this  was  far  more  dreadful.  Tlie 
wolves  howled  louder  than  ever,  and  came  round 
ne  in  greater  numbers,  and  though  I  was  continu- 
ally firing  ray  pistols  out  into  the  darkness,  I  could 
scarcely  keep  them  at  bay.  I  will  not  dwell  on 
that  dreadful  time.  The  morning  did  come  at  last, 
and  the  first  thing  I  did  was  to  drag  the  bodies  of 
the  savages  down  to  the  river,  and  to  force  them 
through  the  hole  in  the  ice  whence  I  had  been  ac- 
customed to  draw  water.  Tlie  current  quickly  car- 
ried them  down  into  far  ofi"  regions.  Then  I  made 
a  firo  over  the  spot  where  their  blood  had  been 
spilt,  and  happily  during  the  day  a  heavy  fall  of. 
snow  coming  on  obliterated  all  the  remaining  traces 
of  their  fatal  visit  to  my  tent.  Still,  for  many  a 
day  I  could  not  drive  the  picture  of  their  liideouh 
countenances  out  of  my  head,  as  they  lay  stark  and 
stiff  on  the  ground  killed  by  my  hand  —  yet  never 
was  homicide  more  justifiable.  I  had,  as  I  believed, 
got  rid  of  all  the  traces  of  the  savages  outside  the 
tent.  When  I  found  the  arrows  sticking  inside  it, 
in  my  bed,  it  did  not  occur  to  me  that  it  would  be 
equally  necessary  to  get  rid  of  them.  The  whim 
seized  me  of  keeping  them  as  a  memorial  of  my 
escape.  Instead,  however,  of  concealing  them  un- 
der the  bed,  I  arranged  them  in  the  form  of  a  star 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  47 

on  the  tent  covering  just  above  my  head,  and  every 
time  I  looked  at  them  I  felt  grateful  that  they  were 
not  sticking  in  my  body.  I  have  a  dislike  to  dwell 
on  the  horrible  sensations  which  came  over  me 
during  those  long  winter  nights  and  scarcely  less 
dreary  days.  Had  I  possessed  any  books,  they 
would  have  served  me  as  companions,  and  helped 
me  to  pass  the  time ;  but  I  had  none. 

My  own  thoughts  and  feelings  were  my  only 
associates,  and  they  often  were  far  from  pleasant 
ones.  I  had  a  great  temptation  also,  which,  had  I 
given  way  to  it,  would  have  made  matters  worse. 

Among  the  articles  which  had  fallen  from  the 
waggon,  and  which  Obed  and  I  afterwards  picked 
up,  was  a  small  cask  of  brandy.  We  were  both  of 
us  very  abstemious,  or  we  should  not  have  been 
the  strong  hearty  fellows  we  were.  The  cask,  there- 
fore, had  not  even  been  broached.  The  tempter, 
however,  now  came  suggesting  to  me  that  I  might 
soon  forget  all  my  miseries  if  I  would  but  occasion- 
ally take  a  taste  of  the  fire-water.  I  resisted  him, 
however.  I  knew  that  if  I  once  began  I  might  go 
on,  and  not  know  when  to  stop.  I  was  sure  that  I 
was  better  and  stronger  without  liquor  of  any  sort, 
so  I  let  the  cask  remain  as  it  was  in  a  corner  of  the 
tent.  I  had  a  pipe  and  a  small  quantity  of  tobac- 
co, which  I  mixed  with  sumach  leaves  and  willow 
bark  to  make  it  go  further.  Smoking  this  was  my 
greatest  animal  pleasure.     My  usual  dinner,  eke4 


48  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

out  with  fried  wolf's  flesh,  indeed  required  a  smoke 
to  make  it  digest  properly.  After  this  adventure 
with  the  Indians,  I  found  my  nerves  much  shaken. 
I  stayed  in  bed  for  a  couple  of  days,  but,  whenever 
I  dropped  asleep,!  found  myself  acting  the  whole 
scene  over  and  over  again.  At  night  I  had,  as  usual, 
to  sit  up,  wrapped  in  my  buffalo  robes,  with  my  feet 
at- the  fire,  and  my  pistols  in  my  hands,  keeping  the 
wolves  at  bay.  Oh,  how  I  wished  they  would  cease 
their  horrid  serenade.  The  old  year  passed  away, 
and  the  new  year  began,  but  there  was  no  change 
in  my  conditio*!.  I  was  growing  seriously  alarmed 
about  Obed.  He  ought  to  have  been  back  by  this 
time,  I  thought.  I  was  afraid  some  accident  might 
have  befallen  him,  for  I  was  very  certain  that  he 
would  not  have  deserted  me.  By  degrees  I  recov- 
ered my  composure,  and  took  my  exercise  with  my 
rifle  in  my  hand  as  usual.  My  tent,  also,  by  being 
almost  covered  up  with  snow,  had  become  a  very 
warm  and  comparatively  comfortable  habitation,  as 
I  could  always  keep  up  a  good  fire  within  it.  When 
I  returned  from  my  walks  I  had  a  cup  of  warm  tea 
ready,  which  tended  to  keep  up  the  circulation 
which  the  exercise  had  established.  Thus  I  soou 
got  into  very  good  health  again. 

My  chief  occupation  when  out  was  looking  for 
game.  What  was  my  delight  one  morning  to  see  a 
flight  of  prairie  hens  sitting  on  some  boughs  no; 
far  from  my  tent.     I  stopped  like   a  pointer.     4 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  il) 

knew  that  the  slightest  movement  might  scare 
them  away  ;  and  lifting  my  rifle  to  my  shoulder,  I 
selected  a  fine  cock.  I  fired,  and  over  he  tnmhled. 
I  ran  forward,  and  securing  him  to  my  belt,  I 
marked  where  the  others  settled,  and  followed  them 
up.  Thus  I  went  on.  I  had  killed  three,  I  think, 
which  would  prove  a  most  satisfactory  addition  to 
my  larder.  When  I  looked  about  me,  I  found  that 
I  had  got  a  long  way  from  my  tent.  I  walked 
briskly  back.  When  I  got  to  the  top  of  the  bank 
near  the  river,  what  was  my  dismay  on  looking 
northward,  to  see  several  persons  approaching  my 
tent !  They  could  not  have  failed  to  have  discov- 
3red  me.  I  watched  them  with  intense  interest. 
They  were  Red  Skins  —  Dacotas  probably  ;  I  could 
not  possibly  avoid  encountering  them.  I  felt  that 
my  only  prospect  of  safety  was  to  put  a  bold  faco 
yOn  the  matter,  and  go  and  meet  them  frankly. 
Hurrying  to  my  tent,  I  loaded  myself  with  ail 
my  fire-arms,  resolving  to  sell  my  life  dearly,  and 
then  walked  forward  toward  tliem.  I  counted  the 
strangers.  There  were  ten  of  them,  all  painted 
and  dressed  for  war,  and  a  very  ferocious  set  they 
looked.  They  seemed  very  much  astonished  and 
puzzled  at  seeing  me.  In  an  instant  they  all  had 
their  arrows  fixed  in  their  bows,  and,  forming  a 
line,  they  thus  advanced  slowly  and  cautiously, 
keeping  an  eye  on  the  teni,  and  evidently  expecting 
to  see  a  number  of  people  emerge  from  it.     Their 


60  Dick  Onsloip  ami  the  Red  Skins: 

demonstrations  were  so  hostile,  that  I  now  began  to 
repent  that  I  had  not  made  an  attempt  to  defend 
myself;  at  the  same  time  I  felt  that  a  contest  with 
ten  cunning  savages  would  have  been  a  very  hope- 
less one.  Flight,  too,  over  the  snow,  with  little 
knowledge  of  the  country,  was  not  to  be  thoughl 
of.  As  the  savages  advanced,  I  retreated,  resolvin  g 
to  make  a  stand  at  my  tent  door.  At  the  same 
time  I  tried  to  show  by  signs  that  I  could,  if  I 
liked,  kill  two  or  three  of  them,  but  that  I  was 
ready  for  peace  if  they  were.  At  last  I  lowered 
my  rifle  from  my  shoulder,  and  they  unstrung  their 
bows  and  advanced  with  outstretched  hands  to- 
ward me.  Knowing  their  treacherous  character, 
however,  of  course  I  could  not  depend  on  them. 
I  bethought  me  that  the  best  way  to  win  their 
friendship  was  to  offer  them  food,  as  is  practised 
in  civilized  communities  with  some  success ;  so  I 
showed  them  the  birds  I  had  just  killed,  and  in- 
timated that  I  was  going  to  dress  them  for  their 
entertainment.  I  produced  several  other  dainties, 
and  my  dried  wolf's  flesh.  I  also  brought  out 
some  of  my  mixed  tobacco,  though  it  was  with  in- 
tense reluctance  I  parted  with  it.  They  expressed 
their  satisfaction  by  several  loud  grunts,  and  then 
squatted  round  in  a  circle  outside  the  door  of  my 
tent.  I  made  up  my  fire,  and  soon  had  the  prairie 
hens  and  several  pieces  of  meat  roasting  on  sticks 
before  it,  and  a  savory  stew  cooking  in  my  pot.     I 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  51 

trusted  that  I  might  be  able  to  replenish  my  scanty 
stock  of  provisions,  but  I  knew  that,  had  I  not 
given  them  with  a  good  grace,  my  guests  would 
probably  have  taken  them  by  force.  I  iiad  begun 
to  serve  the  banquet,  ai  which  the  Red  Skins  were 
smacking  their  lips,  and  they  were  casting  approv- 
ing and  kindly  glances  at  me,  when  I  remembered 
my  cask  of  brandy.  I  knew  that  this  would  com- 
pletely cement  our  friendship,  but  I  intended  to 
give  them  only  a  little  at  a  time  to  run  no  risk  of 
intoxicating  them.  I  retired,  therefore,  to  the 
back  of  tlie  tent  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  off  a 
little  in  a  bottle.  While  I  was  thus  employed,  one 
of  them  put  his  head  into  the  tent  to  see  what  I 
was  about.  As  he  did  so,  his  eye  fell  on  the  star 
of  arrows  over  the  head  of  my  couch.  A  loud  ex- 
yclamation  made  me  turn  round.  I  saw  where  his 
glance  was  directed.  My  folly  and  want  of  fore- 
thought in  a  moment  flashed  across  my  mind.  All 
was  lost,  I  perceived.  The  savages  sprang  up,  and 
seizing  me,  pointed  to  the  arrows.  I  had  nothing 
to  say.  Perhaps  the  expression  of  my  countenance 
betrayed  me.  Several  held  me  tight  while  the 
others  spoke.  Though  I  did  not  understand  a 
word  of  their  language,  I  could  not  fail  to  compre- 
hend the  tenor  of  their  speeches.  Their  action, 
the  intonation  of  their  voices,  their  angry  glances 
showed  it.  "  Our  friends  came  here,  and  this  man 
killed  them.     We  came  to  look  for  them,  and  by 


62  Dick  Onslov  and  the  Red  Skins: 

the  same  arts  with  which  he  destroyed  them  he  ha? 
endeavored  to  destroy  us.  There  are  the  proofs  of 
his  guilt.  How  else  did  he  become  possessed  of 
those  arrows  ?  "  Such,  I  have  no  doubt,  is  a  very 
concise  abridgment  of  their  harangues. 

They  continued  speaking  for  an  hour  or  more, 
till  they  worked  each  other  up  into  a  perfect  fury. 
Their  eyes  gleamed  at  me  with  malignant  hatred. 
They  foamed  at  the  mouth  ;  they  gnashed  their 
teeth  at  me.  I  thought  they  would  have  torn  me 
limb  from  limb  ;  but  they  were  reserving  me  for  a 
far  more  refined  system  of  torture.  Having  con- 
demned me  to  death,  they  lashed  my  hands  behind 
me,  and  ray  feet  together,  and  placed  me  in  a  sit- 
ting position  on  my  bed,  there  to  await  my  dcom, 
while  they  all  crouched  down  round  the  fire,  wliere, 
stern  and  grim,  they  finished  the  repast  1  had  pre- 
pared for  them  in  horrible  silence. 


~  An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West,  58 

\ 

CHAPTER   IV. 

f^e  IncRans  propose  to  kill  me.  —  lam  bound  ready  for  the  torture.  — 
My  guests  find  the  fire-water,  and  I  find  the  advantage  of  having 
abstained  firom  it.  —  A  fiearfiul  conference.  —  A  tomahawk  sent  at 
my  head.  —  The  spints  take  effect.  —  /  wo^'k  my  limbs  free.  —  Shall 
I  kill  my  enemies  f  —  /  fiy.  —  A  T^n  for  life.  —  My  tei-rihle  jowney. 
—  /  sink  exhausted.  —  A  friendly  Indian.  —  A  kind  reception.  —  / 
have  came  to  rejoice  that  I  did  not  redden  my  hands  with  blood. 

The  Indians  sat  round  the  fire,  devouring  with 
dreadful  coraposure  the  remainder  of  my  scanty 
stock  of  provisions.  I  could  not  withdraw  my  eyes 
^frora  them.  I  felt  as  if  I  was  in  a  horrid  dream, 
and  yet  I  was  too  certain  of  the  reality  of  what 
had  occurred  to  doubt  it.  "  Even  were  they  to 
spare  my  life,  I  must  starve,"  I  thought  to  myself, 
"  so  it  matters  little  what  they  do  to  me."  They  ate 
up  all  their  own  food  and  all  mine,  till  nothing  re- 
mained. The  Red  man,  although  he  can  go  a  long 
time  without  food,  is  a  complete  glutton  wnen  he 
gets  a  quantity,  and  is  utterly  regardless  of  what 
may  be  his  future  exigencies.  When  they  had 
eaten  up  all  the  food  exposed  to  view,  they  began 
to  hunt  about  the  tents  for  more.  I  watched  them 
anxiously,  for  I  was  afraid  that  they  would  get  hold 
of  the  gunpowder,  and  still  more  did  I  dread  their 
6* 


64  Dick  Gnshw  and  the  Red  Skins : 

finding  the  brandy.  The  chief,  a  villanous-looking 
old  warrior,  was  the  most  active  in  the  search.  He 
went  round  and  round  the  tent,  poking  his  fingers 
into  every  package,  and  sniffing  up  with  his  nose, 
till  at  last  his  keen  scent  enabled  him  to  discover 
the  existence  of  the  spirit-cask,  which  I  had  already 
broached.  With  a  grunt  of  satisfaction,  in  which 
the  whole  party  joined,  he  dragged  it  forward,  and 
made  signs  to  his  followers  that  all  should  share 
in  the  muclp-prized  fire-water.  I  trembled  at  what 
would  be  the  consequences.  "  They  would  have 
treated  me  badly  enough  while  they  were  sober, 
but  with  all  their  evil  passions  inflamed  by  liquor, 
they  will  be  perfect  demons,"  I  thought  to  myself. 
"  How  wrong  I  was  not  to  let  the  dangerous  spirit 
run  out  long  ago."  How  brightly  their  eyes  glared, 
how  eagerly  they  pressed  forward  to  get  a  share  of 
the  coveted  fire-water,  which  the  old  chief  was 
serving  out.  I  observed  that  he  took  care  to  help 
himself  more  largely  than  he  did  anybody  else. 
Scarcely  had  they  drunk  ofi"  what  was  first  distrib- 
uted to  tliem,  than  they  put  forward  their  leathern 
drinking-cups  to  ask  for  more.  The  old  chief, 
having  helped  himself,  gave  some  to  his  followers. 
Then  their  eyes  began  to  glitter,  the  calm,  sedate 
bearing  of  the  Indian  was  thrown  off,  they  talked 
rapidly  and  vehemently,  and  laughed  loudly,  and 
their  fingers  began  to  play  with  the  handles  of  their 
tomahawks  and  scalping  knives  in  a  way  that  made 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  55 

my  blood  run  cold.  The  Red  Skins,  when  they 
take  a  captive,  for  whom  for  any  reason  they  have 
an  especial  hatred,  generally  wait  two  or  three  days, 
that  they  may  have  the  satisfaction  of  tormenting 
him,  before  they  commence  actually  to  torture  him 
to  death.  As  I  watched  them,  however,  I  felt  that 
any  moment  they  might  spring  up  and  begin  to 
torture  me. 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  horrible  ingenuity 
they  exhibit  in  tormenting  their  victims.  Talk  of 
the  virtues  of  the  savage,  I  do  not  believe  in  them. 
He  may  have  some  good  qualities,  but  he  is  gener- 
ally the  cruel  remorseless  monster  sin  has  made  him. 
Civilization  has  its  vices  —  I  know  that  full  well  — 
and  bad  enough  they  are,  but  they  are  mild  com- 
pared to  those  of  the  true  unadulterated  savage,  who 
prides  himself  on  his  art  in  making  his  victims  writhe 
under  his  tortures,  and  kills  merely  that  he  may 
boast  of  the  number  of  those  he  has  slaughtered,  and 
may  exhibit  their  scalps  as  trophies  of  liis  victories. 
It  is  a  convincing  proof  to  me  that  the  same  spirit 
of  evil,  influenced  by  the  most  intense  hatred  to  the 
human  race,  is  going  continually  about  to  incite  men 
to  crime.  The  Dyak  of  Borneo,  the  Fijian  of  the 
Pacific,  and  the  red  savage  of  North  America,  are 
much  alike ;  and  identically  the  same  change  is 
wrought  in  all  when  the  light  of  truth  is  brought 
among  them,  and  the  Christian's  faith  sheds  its  soft- 
ening influence  over  their  hearts.     Many  such  ideas 


66  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

as  those  I  have  alluded  to  passed  through  my  mind 
as  I  sat,  unable  to  move,  watching  the  proceedings 
of  the  savages,  and  I  felt  with  a  pang  of  intense  re- 
morse how  utterly  I  had  neglected  doing  any  thing 
toward  sending  the  gospel  of  salvation  in  which  I 
believed,  and  thought  I  trusted,  to  them  or  any 
other  of  the  heathen  nations  of  the  world. 

The  Red  Skins  went  on  talking  fast  and  furiously  ; 
then  they  put  out  their  hands,  and  called  on  the  old 
chief  to  serve  them  out  further  draughts  of  their 
loved  fire-water.  He  dared  not  deny  them.  He 
helped  himself,  and  his  eyes  began  to  roll  round  and 
round  with  a  frightful  glare,  and  every  now  and  then 
they  turned  upon  me,  and  I  thought  my  last  moment 
had  come ;  but  one  of  his  companions,  in  a  tone 
which  had  lost  all  respect  for  him,  called  off  his 
attention  for  a  moment,  and  I  had  a  reprieve.  It 
was  but  for  a  few  minutes.  I  became  once  more 
the  subject  of  conversation.  Again  the  cups  were 
filled  and  quaffed.  I  sat  as  motionless  as  a  statue. 
A  sign  of  fear,  or  even  of  consciousness,  would  only 
tend  to  enrage  my  captors.  The  countenance  of  the 
old  cliief  grew  more  terrific.  He  grasped  his  deadly 
tomahawk,  and,  drawing  it  from  his  belt,  lifted  his 
arm  to  hurl  it  at  my  head.  I  expected  that  instau 
to  feel  the  horrible  crash  as  the  sharp  weapon  en- 
tered my  skull.  I,  notwithstanding,  fixed  my  eye 
steadily  on  him.  He  bent  back  his  arm ;  the  tom- 
ahawk flew  across  the  tent,  but  the  spirits  he  had 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  57 

swallowed  had  unnerved  his  limbs  and  confused  hia 
sight,  and,  unconscious  apparently  of  what  he  had 
done,  he  rolled  over  on  his  side.  His  companions 
were  too  far  gone  to  take  notice  of  his  state.  Tliey 
rather  seemed  to  rejoice  at  it,  that  now  they  could 
help  themselves  to  as  much  liquor  as  was  to  be  got. 
As  the  savages  went  on  drinking,  and  I  saw  the 
condition  to  which  they  were  reducing  themselves, 
hope  once  more  revived  in  my  breast.  I  might 
work  my  way  out  of  the  leather  thongs  which  bound 
me,  and  get  clear  of  my  captors  ;  but  then  where 
was  I  to  go  ?  I  was  again  tolerably  strong,  and 
could  run  some  miles,  but  in  what  direction  should 
I  bend  my  steps  ?  I  could  scrape  togetlier  little 
Tood  from  that  left  by  the  Indians ;  but  had  I  any 
chance  of  reaching  any  fort  or  settlement  in  the 
depth  of  winter  ?  I  should,  too  probably,  be  frozen 
to  death,  or  be  devoured  by  wolves,  or  be  scalped 
by  hostile  Indians.  The  prospect  was  not  cheering. 
Still  all  risks  were  far  preferable  to  being  tormented 
to  death  by  my  present  captors.  I  was  beginning 
to  indulge  in  a  prospect  of  escaping,  remote  though 
it  might  be,  when  two  more  of  the  Indians  all  of  a 
sudden  took  it  into  their  heads  to  hurl  their  hatchets 
at  me.  It  was  the  last  effort  of  expiring  intelligence, 
and  they  both  fell  back  overpowered  by  liquor.  In 
a  very  short  time,  one  by  one,  the  rest  of  their  com- 
panions yielded  to  its  influences,  and  the  whole  band 
of  Indians  lay  perfectly  drunk  and  helpless  at  my 
feet. 


5S  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

No  time  was  to  be  lost ;  how  long  they  •might 
continue  in  that  state  I  could  not  tell.  At  all 
events  it  was  important  to  get  a  long  start  of  them. 
I  found  that  I  might  in  time  gnaw  away  the  thongs 
which  bound  my  wrists.  I  set  to  work  ;  tliey  were 
very  tough,  but  by  perseverance  I  got  through  one, 
and  then  the  other,  and  my  hands  were  free.  Still 
I  had  a  tough  thong  round  my  neck  secured  to  one 
of  the  posts  of  the  bed,  and  another  round  my 
ancles  fastened  to  another  below  me.  If  I  at- 
tempted to  stoop  down,  I  tightened  the  thong 
round  my  neck,  nor  could  I  draw  my  feet  up  to 
meet  my  hands.  The  savages  had  taken  my  own 
knife  from  me.  I  struggled,  and  pulled,  and 
tugged,  to  get  my  feet  clear  till  I  almost  cut 
through  my  ancles  to  the  bone.  At  last  I  thought 
of  the  tomahawks  the  savages  had  thrown  at  me. 
I  leaned  back  and  felt  about  behind  me.  To  my 
great  joy  my  fingers  clutched  the  handle  of  one, 
the  blade  of  which  was  sticking  deep  into  the  frame 
of  the  bed.  I  dragged  it  out,  and  very  soon  cut 
through  the  thong  round  my  neck.  To  clear  my 
feet  was  a  work  of  less  trouble  :  I  was  free,  I  can 
scarcely  describe  my  sensations  as  I  stood  among 
my  now  helpless  enemies.  My  first  thought  was  to 
make  preparations  for  my  flight.  I  collected  all 
the  food  of  every  description  and  packed  it  away  in 
a  bag,  which  I  fastened  round  my  waist.  I  took 
my  rifle  and  filled  my  powder-flask,  with  a  further 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  59 

apply  in  a  leathern  case  which  had  been  Obed's 
uid  all  the  percussion  caps,  and  as  much  shct  as  1 
lould  carry.  1  took  the  precaution  also  of  collect- 
ing all  the  bows  and  arrows,  and  other  weapons, 
of  the  Indians,  and  of  piling  them  upon  the  fire, 
vheve  they  were  quickly  consumed.  Tlien  I  threw 
jvcr  ray  shoulder  my  buffalo-skin  coat,  and  stood 
prepared  for  fliglit.  "  Wiiither  shall  I  fly  ?  How 
can  I  escape  from  my  swift-heeled  enemies  with  all 
this  weight  of  things  to  carry  ?  Need  I  fly  ?  "  A 
dreadful  thouglit  came  into  my  head.  "  Tliey  in- 
tended to  kill  me.  Tliere  they  lie  utterly  helpless. 
A  few  well-directed  blows  from  one  of  their  own 
tpmahawks  which  they  hurled  at  my  head,  and  not 
one  of  them  can  harm  me  more.  I  may  dispose  of 
them  as  I  disposed  of  their  two  brethren  who  tried 
to  kill  me.  I  have  a  right  to  do  so.  Surely  I  have 
a  right  to  destroy  them."  If  I  did  not  say,  I 
thought  all  these  things.  Whence  did  the  sugges- 
tion come  ?  "  Oh  may  I  be  guided  to  do  what  is 
right,"  I  mentally  ejaculated.  I  gazed  at  the  help- 
less beings  scattered  around.  "  They  are  human  ; 
they  have  souls  to  be  saved.  '  Forgive  us  our 
trespasses  as  we  forgive  tliem  who  trespass  against 
us.'  What  does  that  mean  ? "  I  asked  myself. 
"  Oh  no,  I  dare  not  injure  them.  Never  mind 
what  the  rough  backwoods  man  would  say  to  my 
conduct.  I  am  sure  it  is  braver  to  refrain  than  to 
kill.     Certainly,  as  a  Christian,  I  cannot  kill  them 


60  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

—  I  dare  not.  To  his  guidance  and  protectiou 
wlio  formed  the  world  and  all  living  creatures,  I 
commit  myself."  With  these  words,  not  daring  to 
looii  behind  me,  I  rushed  from  the  tent. 

I  took  a  westerly  course,  for  I  thought  that  I 
should  more  likely  fall  in  with  Obed  in  that  di- 
rection, should  he  have  reached  a  fort  in  safety, 
and  succeeded  in  obtaining  help  to  come  and  rescue 
me.  On  I  went  as  fast  as  I  could  move,  but  my 
limbs  were  stiff,  and  the  weight  I  carried  was  con- 
siderable. I  tried  to  turn  my  thougiits  from  the 
savages,  but  I  could  not  help  calculating  how  long 
they  might  continue  in  their  state  of  stupor.  There 
was  still  some  brandy  left  in  the  cask ;  when  they 
recovered  their  senses,  rather  than  pursue  me  they 
might  be  tempted  to  drink  again.  It  was  a  ques- 
tion which  was  the  strongest  passion,  whether  the 
love  of  drink  or  the  desire  for  revenge  would  pre- 
vail. On  I  went,  the  snow  was  now  tolerably  hard, 
so  I  made  pretty  good  progress,  yet  the  Red  Skins 
would  go  twice  as  fast  when  once  they  began  to 
pursue  me.  I  went  a  mile  before  I  stopped.  Then 
on  reaching  an  elevation,  whence  I  could  have  a 
clear  view  over  the  white  glittering  plain,  I  looked 
back  at  the  spot  where  I  had  spent  so  many  days 
and  nights  of  pain  and  suffering,  and  where  also  I 
owned  tliat  I  had  been  most  mercifully  preserved 
from  so  many  dangers.  The  tent  stood  where  it 
had  been  for  many  months,  the  smoke  was  curling 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  61 

out  of  the  top  into  the  calm  sky,  and  all  around 
looked  so  unchanged,  that  I  could  scarcely  per 
suade  myself  that  in  the  interior  was  collected  a 
band  of  malignant  foes,  who  would  rejoice  in  my 
destruction.  I  looked  but  a  few  seconds,  and  then 
away  I  went  on  my  course.  I  walked  on,  some- 
times breaking  into  a  run  where  tlie  snow  was 
harder  and  would  allow  it,  till  sunset,  and  then 
the  stars  came  out  brightly  in  the  firmament  of 
heaven,  and  I  was  able  to  steer  my  course  with 
greater  certainty  even  than  in  the  daytime.  1 
could  not  think  very  much  ;  but  I  did  feel  thank- 
ful that  I  had  not  yielded  to  the  temptation  of 
drinking  the  spirits  myself,  when  I  had  felt  low 
and  almost  hopeless.  Had  I  done  so,  I  should 
have  destroyed  the  very  means  presented  for  my 
deliverance.  I  got  over  the  plain  with  tolei-able 
ease,  for  the  sun  had  at  times  melted  the  snow, 
wliich  when  it  froze  again  had  become  hard  and 
rough.  As  I  ran  on,  however,  I  was  trying  to  de- 
vise some  plan  by  which  the  Indians  might  be 
turned  off  my  track.  To  obliterate  it,  however, 
vas  hopeless,  unless  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  should 
come  on,  and  even  then  the  cunning  rascals,  by 
ecraping  away  the  snow  at  intervals,  were  very 
likely  to  find  me  out.  It  was  nearly  midnight,  I 
calculated,  when  I  felt  that  I  must  stop  to  rest  and 
take  some  food.  I  sat  down  on  what  I  took  to  be 
ft  mound   of  earth   covered   with   snow.     I  eat  a 

6 


62  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

handful  of  rice  and  a  little  biscuit,  and  chewed  a 
piece  of  wolfs  flesh,  and  felt  somewhat  revived.  1 
should  have  liked  to  have  gone  to  sleep,  but  I  dared 
not,  even  for  a  moment.  It  would  have  been,  had 
I  given  way  to  the  feeling,  the  sleep  of  death.  ] 
scarcely  know  why,  but  as  I  sat  on  the  heap,  1 
struck  the  butt-end  of  my  rifle  into  the  snow ;  it 
gave  way.  I  found  there  was  something  beneath 
it.  With  eager  haste,  lor  I  remembered  that  every 
moment  was  precious,  I  threw  off  the  snow.  The 
body  of  a  man  lay  beneath.  A  dreadful  sensation 
came  over  me.  It  must  be  that  of  Obed,  slaugh- 
tered, perhaps,  on  his  way  to  succor  me ;  the  idea 
ahnost  overcame  me ;  I  resisted,  however,  the  feel- 
ing of  despair,  and  roused  myself  up.  I  threw  off" 
more  of  the  snow;  I  could  see,  by  the  faint  light 
of  the  moon,  that  little  more  than  a  skeleton  re- 
mained ;  the  dress,  however,  was  there  ;  it  was  that 
of  a  backwoods  man.  With  horrible  eagerness,  yet 
with  loathing,  I  examined  the  tattered  clothes.  I 
felt  sure  that  they  were  those  Obed  had  worn.  In 
my  search,  my  hand  struck  against  something ;  I 
took  it  up,  it  was  an  old  silver  watch  ;  such  a  one 
Obed  had  not  got,  but  often  had  I  seen  it  in  the 
hands  of  his  brother  Joab.  Poor  Joab,  then,  had 
been  killed  on  the  first  attack  of  tlie  Red  Skins. 
What  had  become  of  the  rest  of  the  party?  1 
dreaded  lest  I  should  find  their  remains  as  I  had 
that  of  Joab.     Taking  the  watch  I  secured  it  about 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  63 

me  to  restore  to  his  family  should  I  ever  meet 
them.  I  hunted  about  for  his  rifle ;  it  was  nowhere 
to  be  found.  It  had  been  carried  off,  I  concluded, 
by  the  Indians.  With  a  heavy  heart  I  ran  on,  after 
my  brief  rest,  expecting  every  instant  to  come  on 
more  of  the  remains  of  my  old  friends,  but  I  saw 
no  indications  of  them,  and  there  was  no  time  to 
carry  on  the  search.  I  went  on  after  this  for  some 
time  without  halting  even  foi  a  moment.  I  had 
now  been  several  hours  on  foot.  Had  I  enjoyed  my 
usual  strength,  such  as  I  possessed  before  being 
wounded,  I  should  have  made  light  of  the  ftitigue. 
I  was,  however,  again  obliged  to  sit  down,  I 
reckoned  on  having  a  long  start  of  the  Red  Skins. 
I  hoped  to  retain  my  strength  so  as  to  redouble  my 
speed  when  I  thought  they  would  be  pressing  after 
me.  I  had  deprived  them  of  their  arms,  and  they 
had  no  food  ;  so  that  could  I  contrive  to  keep  be- 
yond their  reach  for  two  or  three  days,  they  must 
be  delayed  to  obtain  it,  if  they  attempted  to  follow 
me.  Unless  also  their  lodges  were  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  they  could  go  and  get  arms,  I  possessed 
another  very  great  advantage  over  them.  Of 
course,  if  pursued,  I  would  not  hesitate  for  a  mo- 
ment about  shooting  them  down.  These  ideas  oc- 
curred to.  me  as  I  ran  on,  and  I  began  to  feel  that 
my  case  was  not  so  hopeless  as  I  at  first  considered 
it.  My  great  dread  was  of  the  wolves.  As  yet  I 
had  not  heard  any  of  those  cries  which  make  night 


64        ^  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  &cins : 

hideous  in  the  desert  regions ;  but  I  knew  that  if 
a  pack  once  scented  me  out  and  gave  chase,  I 
should  have  little  chance  of  escaping  them,  unless 
I  could  find  a  tree,  up  which  I  might  climb  out  of 
their  way. 

I  ran  on  all  night,  keeping  nearly  due  west,  and 
daylight  found  me  pursuing  my  way  with  unflag- 
ging speed.  At  last  I  struck  what  I  took  to  be  a 
branch  of  the  Nebraska  river.  A  wood  was  not 
far  off"  on  the  other  side.  "  I'll  try  if  a  White  Man 
cannot  manage  to  deceive  the  acuteness  of  a  Red 
Skin,"  I  thought  to  myself.  The  wind  had  blown 
the  snow  completely  off"  the  ice  on  the  river.  I 
crossed  the  river,  and  made  toward  the  wood. 
I  stirred  up  the  snow  in  a  way  which  I  knew  would 
puzzle  the  Indians,  and  then  treading  backwards 
on  my  footmarks,  I  once  more  reached  the  river. 
Tlien  away  I  went  up  the  stream  over  the  smootli 
ice  as  hard  as  I  could  run.  Now  and  then  I 
tumbled  down,  but  I  quickly  picked  myself  up 
again,  and  was  off*  as  fast  as  ever.  When  a  man 
believes  that  a  body  of  Red  Skins  or  a  pack  of 
wolves  are  at  his  heels,  he  is  likely  to  run  pretty 
fast.  I  sat  down  once  for  breakfast  for  five  minutes, 
and  once  at  noon  for  dinner  off"  raw  rice  and  wolves' 
ribs,  and  away  I  went  again.  At  last  I  found  that 
the  river  was  making  so  many  bends  that  it  would 
be  necessary  to  land,  which  I  did  on  the  north 
shore.     Night  came  on,  but  I  did  not  relax  my 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  65 

speed  ;  the  stars  came  out,  and  guided  me  as  before. 
I  was  beginning,  however,  to  feel  much  distressed. 
I  bore  up  as  well  as  I  could,  but  I  fancied  that  I 
could  not  continue  my  course  much  beyond  the 
morning,  even  if  I  could  go  through  the  night.  I 
came  to  some  bushes  growing  above  the  snow  ;  they 
would  afford  me  shelter  from  the  wind,  and  I  might, 
I  thonght,  venture  to  rest  for  half  an  hour  or  so. 
I  should  have  wished  to  light  a  fire,  but  I  dared 
not,  lest  the  smoke  might  betray  me.  I  sat  down 
and  began  searching  in  my  bag  for  some  food,  when 
a  distant  and  faint  cry  struck  my  ear.  I  listened 
again,  I  heard  it.  I  knew  too  well  what  it  was. 
The  cry  of  a  pack  of  wolves.  Could  they  have 
gained  scent  of  me,  and  be  following  in  my  track  ? 
The  bare  thought  of  such  a  thing  made  me  start 
up,  and  again  set  forth  at  full  speed.  For  what  I 
knew  to  the  contrary,  I  had  both  wolves  and  Indians 
following  me.  The  wolves  were  gaining  on  me, 
that  was  certain.  I  could  di-stinguish  the  yelps 
and  barks  through  the  still  midnight.  They  might 
yet  be  some  way  off.  I  tried  to  pierce  through  tlie 
gloom  ahead,  in  the  hopes  of  seeing  some  clump  of 
trees,  rising  out  of  the  snowy  plain,  in  wliich  I 
might  take  shelter.  On  I  ran.  It  at  all  events 
would  not  do  to  stay  where  I  was.  The  sound  of 
those  horrid  yelps,  if  any  thing  had  been  required 
to  make  me  exert  myself,  would  have  added  fleet- 
ness  to  my  feet.  I  longed  for  day ;  I  thought  they 
«» 


^  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins 

would  be  less  likely  to  attack  me.  For  a  whole 
hour  I  ran  on,  I  believe.  It  seemed  more  like 
three  or  four,  with  those  dreadful  sounds  ringing 
in  my  ears.  I  thought  they  were  coming  nearer 
and  nearer.  At  last  I  saw  some  object  rising  up 
before  me  in  the  darkness.  It  might  be  a  distant 
hill,  or  it  might  be  the  outline  of  the  wished-for 
wood.  "  But  if  I  succeed  in  reaching  it,  and 
climbing  a  tree,  will  not  the  delay  enable  tlie  Indians 
to  overtake  me  ?  "  I  thought.  "  I  will  keep  outside 
the  wood  till  the  near  approach  of  the  brutes  com- 
pels me  to  climb  a  tree  to  get  out  of  their  way." 
1  kept  to  this  resolution.  It  proved  to  be  a  wood 
that  I  had  seen.  I  skirted  it  as  I  continued  my 
course.  All  the  time  I  kept  listening  with  a  feeling 
of  horror  to  the  hideous  chorus  of  the  wolves. 
Suddenly  I  was  conscious  that  the  sounds  were 
growing  fainter.  In  another  twenty  minutes  I  was 
certain  of  it.  They  were  in  pursuit  of  some  wild 
beast  or  other,  perhaps  of  some  unfortunate  Indian 
traversing  the  prairie.  How  thankl'ul  I  felt  when 
the  sounds  altogether  ceased.  Tiiis  circumstance 
gave  me  fresh  courage.  I  pursued  my  course 
steadily  onward.  I  stopped  even  five  minutes  to 
rest  and  take  a  little  food.  The  sun  rose,  still  I 
was  going  on,  but  I  began  to  feel  that  nature  would 
not  hold  out  much  longer.  I  felt  a  dizziness  in  my 
eyes,  and  my  knees  began  to  tremble,  and  1  drew 
my  breath  with  difficulty.     I  was  again  in  a  vast 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  67 

plain.  The  sun  was  behind  me  ;  I  followed  my 
own  shadow.  Sometimes  I  could  distinguish  nothing 
before  me,  then  the  giddiness  went  away.  Sud- 
denly, as  I  looked  up,  I  saw  before  me  eight  or  ten 
figures  moving  in  a  line  across  my  path.  Could 
they  be  the  Pawnees  who  had  lost  my  track,  and 
were  thus  making  a  circuit  in  the  expectation  of 
coming  on  it  ?  If  they  were,  I  would  defend  my- 
self to  the  last.  I  felt  for  my  rifle,  and  tried  to 
get  it  ready  to  fire,  but  I  had  miscalculated  my 
strength.  The  agitation  was  too  much  for  me  ;  I 
stumbled  blindly  forward  a  few  paces,  and  then 
sank  down  helplessly  in  the  snow.  I  tried  to  rise — 
to  move  —  I  could  not ;  so  I  gave  myself  up  for 
lost,  and  prepared  for  death.  I  was  not  afraid,  I 
was  not  unhappy  ;  indeed,  I  had  no  very  acute 
feelings  Whatever,  and  very  soon  lost  all  conscious- 
ness.    I  was  aroused  by  a  human  voice. 

"  Why,  stranger,  where  have  you  dropped  from  ? 
You  seem  to  be  in  a  sad  plight? " 

I  looked  up  to  discover  whence  the  voice  came, 
and  there,  instead  of  a  white  face,  as  I  expected,  I 
saw  a  tall  Indian,  as  he  seemed  by  his  dress,  though 
perhaps  he  was  rather  fairer  than  his  people  usually 
are,  bending  over  me.  I  could  not  reply,  but,  with 
a  sort  of  hysterical  laugh,  I  made  signs  that  I  had 
come  from  the  eastward,  and  that  some  one  was  iu 
pursuit  of  mcj. 

"  Well,  never  mind  talking  now ;  we  must  first 


68  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Shinx: 

set  you  on  your  feet  again,"  he  said  1 1  a  kind 
voice.  "  My  companions  will  be  here  piosently. 
You  want  food  and  rest,  and  then  you  can  tell  us 
what  has  happened." 

"  Food,  food,"  I  whispered. 

"  Yes,  poor  fellow,  you  shall  have  it,"  he  an- 
swered, in  a  tone  of  commiseration,  taking  from 
his  wallet  some  pemmican,  which  I  ate  with  a  keen 
relish.  The  food  revived  me,  and  I  felt  much 
better  by  the  time  my  new  friend's  companions 
came  up.  They  stood  round  me  while  I  con- 
tinued eating,  with  looks  of  pity  and  wonder  on 
their  expressive  countenances.  I  saw  by  their 
dress  and  appearance  that  they  were  Ottoes,  a  tribe 
dwelling  to  the  south  of  the  Nebraska,  and  always 
friendly  to  the  Whites.  My  friend  was  the  only 
one  who  could  speak  English,  which  he  did  per- 
fectly.    He  saw  me  examining  his  countenance. 

"  I  am  half  an  Englishman,"  he  observed.  "  I 
am  called  John  Pipestick.  My  father  came  from 
Kent,  in  the  old  country,  I  have  often  heard  him 
say  :  the  garden  of  England  he  called  it.  A  poor 
place  for  buffaloes  and  wild  turkeys,  I  should  think, 
so  it  would  not  suit  me.  He  sometimes  talked  of 
going  to  have  a  look  at  the  hop  fields  and  a  taste  of 
its  ale,  but  he  was  killed  by  the  Pawnees  who  car- 
ried off  his  scalp.  I've  not  left  him  unavenged, 
though.  My  mother  was  a  Red  Skin,  and  belongeri 
to  this  tribe,  and  I  have  no  wish  to  quit  thera      But 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  69 

come,  friend,  you  have  done  eating,  and  a  man  who 
can  eat  is  not  in  a  very  bad  way.  Lean  on  us,  and 
we  will  take  you  to  our  tents.  They  are  not  more 
than  three  miles  off." 

Supported  in  the  arms  of  the  kind  Ottoes,  I  walked 
along  with  tolerable  ease.  They  were  very  fine  fel- 
lows. One  was  fully  six  feet  six  inches  in  heigbt, 
and  proportionably  strong  limbed.  The  rest  were 
not  much  his  inferiors.  John  Pipestick  was  shorter, 
but  very  strong.  As  I  walked  along,  I  found  my 
tongue  loosed,  and  I  gave  a  succinct  account  of 
what  had  occurred.  John  interpreted.  The  Indians 
pricked  up  their  ears,  and  had  an  animated  discus- 
sion among  themselves.  We  reached  at  length  what 
is  called  a  cedar  swamp  in  the  States.  The  cedar 
trees  form  a  dense  tangled  thicket,  perfectly  imper- 
vious to  the  wind,  and  in  winter,  when  tlie  moist 
ground  is  frozen  hard  below,  such  a  locality  is  per- 
fectly healthy.  Woe  betide  the  unfortunate  wretch 
who  bas  to  take  up  his  quarters  within  one  in  the 
summer  time,  when  mosquitoes  and  rattlesnakes 
abound.  He  will  wish  himself  well  out  of  it  before 
the  morning.  Drawing  aside  a  few  boughs,  the  Ot- 
toes led  the  way  by  a  narrow  path  toward  the  centre 
of  the  thicket,  and  we  soon  found  ourselves  in  an  open 
space,  in  which  were  pitched  a  couple  of  tents. 
Several  women  and  three  or  four  men  came  out  to 
greet  us,  and  warmly  shook  my  hands.  I  felt  truly, 
as  John  Pipestick  had  called  me,  a  brother  among 


70  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

them.  They  placed  me  in  a  tent  before  a  fire,  and 
gave  me  warm  food,  and  chafed  my  limbs,  and  then 
covered  me  up  with  a  buffalo  robe.  I  quickly  fell 
asleep,  and  never  have  I  slept  so  soundly  in  my 
life,  or  with  a  sense  of  more  perfect  security.  At 
last  I  awoke ;  I  had  not  stirred  for  fourteen  hours. 
It  was  night,  but  the  Indians  were  sitting  up  round 
the  fire  cleaning  their  arms.  They  seemed  highly 
pleased  when  I  awoke. 

"  We  have  been  waiting  for  you  to  start  on  an  ex- 
pedition," exclaimed  John  Pipestick.  "How  do 
you  feel  ?     Are  you  able,  think  you,  to  walk  ?  " 

I  got  r.p  and  stretched  my  limbs.  They  felt  a 
little  stiff,  and  })ained  me  slightly,  but  I  thought,  I 
said,  that  exercise  would  take  that  off. 

"  No  fear  then,"  said  John  ;  "  take  some  food. 
Our  people  are  anxious  to  start.  I'll  tell  you  all 
about  it  as  we  go  along."  I  lost  no  time  in  putting 
on  my  moccasins  and  in  getting  ready  for  a  start, 
after  I  had  partaken  of  some  pemmican  and  a  warm 
broth,  of  which  a  wild  turkey  formed  the  cliief  in- 
gredient. I  found  a  party  of  ten  Indians  besides 
Pipestick,  all  armed  with  rifles,  besides  hatchets  and 
knives,  and  some  had  likewise  bows  and  quivers  of 
arrows  at  their  backs.  In  their  buffalo-skin  coats 
they  looked  very  like  a  troop  of  bears.  The  remain- 
der of  the  party  were  preparing  to  follow  with  a 
light  waggon,  in  which  they  carried  their  tents  and 
provisions,  and  four  shaggy  little  ponies  to  drag  it 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  71 

I  saw  that  we  were  taking  an  easterly  course.  1 
asked  where  we  were  going. 

"  To  your  tent,"  was  the  answer. 

"  But  the  Pawnees  will  have  gone,"  I  remaiked. 

"  No  fear  of  that  while  any  liquor  remains,"  he 
observed.  I  knew  that  I  might  as  well  have  spoken 
to  the  winds  as  have  attempted  to  dissuade  my  wild 
friends  from  attacking  their  enemies.  Still  I  tried 
to  explain  my  view  of  the  case.  John  seemed  much 
struck  by  what  I  said.  He  observed  that  he  had 
never  seen  it  in  that  light  before.  He  had  been 
taught  to  do  good  to  your  friends,  but  to  injure  your 
enemies  to  the  utmost  of  your  power.  He  had  no 
notion  that  such  was  not  the  Christian's  creed.  His 
father  was  a  Christian  ;  so  was  he  —  not  that  he  knew 
much  about  religion.  That  was  all  very  well  for 
people  who  lived  in  towns.  I  tried  to  show  him  tliat 
all  men  had  souls,  that  one  Saviour  died  for  all ; 
that  all  would  have  to  stand  before  the  judgment- 
seat  of  God  ;  and  that  therefore  religious  faith  and 
religious  practice  were  essential  for  all.  Such  was 
one  of  the  many  subjects  of  our  conversation  which 
beguiled  our  way.  My  long  solitude  had  made  me 
reflect  and  remember  many  things  1  had  before  for- 
gotten, and  my  late  merciful  escape  had  not  been 
without  its  effects  in  turning  my  heart  to  my  Maker. 
I  wish  that  I  could  say  that,  like  the  compass,  it  has 
ever  since  kept  true  to  the  pole.  1  did  not  feel, 
however,  that  I  was  making  very  deep  impression  on 


72  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

my  auditors.  We  pushed  on,  not  as  fast  as  I  had 
come,  but  still  at  a  very  rapid  rate  ;  and  if  I  at  all 
showed  signs  of  flagging,  two  of  the  huge  Indians 
would  lift  me  up  by  the  shoulders  and  help  me 
along,  scarcely  allowing  my  feet  to  touch  the  ground. 
We  camped  in  a  wood  for  a  short  time,  making  an 
arbor  with  fir  branches  to  keep  off  the  cold,  and 
then  on  we  went.  My  heart  beat  quick  as,  soon 
after  daylight,  we  approached  the  height  whence  we 
could  look  down,  I  knew,  on  my  tent.  We  reached 
the  spot  —  the  one  where  I  had  been  standing  when 
I  saw  the  Pawnees  coming  to  destroy  me.  I  looked 
eagerly  for  the  tent.  It  was  no  longer  there,  nor 
was  there  a  sign  of  living  beings  near.  Two  scouts 
went  down  to  examine  all  the  places  of  concealment 
near.  After  a  time  they  signed  to  us  to  approach. 
We  hurried  down.  There  lay  the  remains  of  the 
tent,  almost  burned  to  pieces,  and  among  a  confused 
mass  of  cinders,  and  various  articles  which  the  tent 
had  contained,  lay  scattered  about  the  blackened 
and  mangled  remains  of  my  late  captors.  "  Verily 
let  not  man  attempt  to  avenge  himself,"  I  repeated. 
"  Here  is  a  proof  of  those  solemn  words,  '  Vengeance 
is  mine,  saith  the  Lord,  I  will  repay.' " 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  73 


CHAPTER   V. 

/  have  cause  tc  rejoice  that  I  did  not  avenge  myself. —  3/y  great  tne<Scin« 
work.  —  I  rise  in  the  estimation  0/ my  new  friends.  —  An  Indian 
encampment.  — Am  offered  a  wife,  but  compelled  to  decline  the  honor. — 
John  Pipestick.  —  Surrounded  by  enemies.  —  A  fierce  attack.  —  We 
fight  mth  desperation,  and  resolve  to  die  like  brave  men. 

The  disappointment  of  my  Ottoe  friends  was 
very  considerable  when  they  found  all  their  enemies 
killed,  and  not  even  a  scalp  remaining  to  carry  off 
as  a  trophy  ;  besides  which,  a  large  portion  of  the 
property  contained  in  the  tent  had  been  destroyed. 
Tliere  was  still  enough,  however,  to  be  looked  upon 
as  a  valuable  prize  by  the  Red  Skins,  and  I  accord- 
ingly begged  them  to  appropriate  it.  This  they 
without  any  show  of  reluctance  did,  and  immediately 
set  to  work  to  hollow  out  a  large  hole  under  the 
snow  where  they  might  bury  it.  How  thankful  I 
felt  that  my  hand  had  refrained  from  slaughtering 
those  poor  wretches  when  they  lay  in  my  power.  As 
I  considered  the  subject,  I  had  no  doubt  of  the 
cause  of  the  catastrophe.  After  the  savages  had 
consumed  the  cask  of  spirits,  they  had  fallen  on  the 
barrel  of  gunpowder,  probably  hoping  that  it  might 
contain  more  of  their  favorite  fire-water.  They  were 
very  likely  smoking  at  the  time,  and  perhaps  all 


74  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

bending  round  the  cask  in  their  eagerness  to  got 
some  of  its  contents.  A  spark  from  one  of  their  pipes 
must  in  an  instant  have  finished  their  business. 
I  cannot  say  that  1  indulged  in  any  sentimental 
grief  at  what  had  occurred.  It  was  vexatious  to  lose 
so  many  things  which  might  have  been  of  use,  but  the 
most  serious  loss  was  that  of  the  gunpowder.  Fortu- 
nately, however,  I  had  a  good  supply,  which  would 
last  for  some  time.  I  never  was  addicted  to  burning 
gunpowder  uselessly.  Tlie  warriors  proposed  to 
await  the  arrival  of  the  rest  of  tlie  party  where  we 
were,  but  I  entreated  them  to  return  to  meet  their 
friends.  I  pointed  out  to  them  that  perhaps  other 
bands  of  Pawnees  might  be  moving  about —  prob- 
ably, as  I  found  was  the  case,  suffering  from  hunger; 
and  that  first  their  wives  and  those  with  them,  and 
then  we  ourselves  might  be  overpowered.  John  Pipe- 
stick  translated  what  I  said,  and  finally  they  were 
persuaded  to  follow  my  advice.  Tliey  laughed  very 
much  when  I  proposed  to  bury  the  remains  of  the 
dead  men,  and  replied  that  it  would  be  just  as  well 
to  let  the  wolves  perform  that  office,  which  in  the 
course  of  another  night  they  certainly  would  do. 
They  found  quite  enougli  labor,  indeed,  in  cwiceal- 
ing  the  remains  of  my  property.  After  they  had 
dug  the  hole  they  deposited  all  the  articles  within, 
and  then  built  up  a  pile  of  logs  over  it,  which  even 
an  inquisitive  bear  would  have  had  some  difficulty 
in  pulling  to  pieces.     My  chief  anxiety  was  now 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West,  75 

about  Obed.  I  got  the  Ottoes  to  describe  to  me 
exactly  the  position  of  their  village,  about  a  hundred 
"miles'  to  the  south-east  of  where  we  then  were. 
Then  I  took  one  of  the  sticks  which  had  served  me 
for  a  crutch,  and  making  a  split  in  one  end,  I  stuck 
the  other  deep  into  the  ground.  On  a  leaf  which 
1  tore  from  my  pocket-book  I  wrote  a  brief  account 
of  what  had  occurred  and  where  I  was  going,  and 
putting  it  into  the  cleft  of  the  stick,  bound  the  whole 
securely  up.  The  Ottoes  looked  on  with  intense 
wonder  at  my  proceedings,  till  John  told  them  I 
was  performing  a  great  medicine  work,  which  satis- 
fied them.  Having  thus  done  my  best  to  enable 
Obed  to  join  me,  I  set  off  with  ray  friends  to  return 
to  their  camp.  I  paused  again  for  an  instant  when 
I  reached  the  summit  of  the  hill,  to  take  what  I 
hoped  might  be  a  farewell  look  at  the  place  which 
had  been  the  scene  of  so  much  suffering  to  me,  and 
lately  tliat  of  so  dreadful  a  catastrophe.  A  small 
black  patch  on  the  dazzling  white  plain  alone  was 
perceptible  to  mark  the  spot.  I  turned  from  the 
contemplation  of  the  melancholy  scene,  and  has- 
tened after  my  friends.  I  found  them  moving  very 
leisurely  along.  I  urged  John  to  persuade  them  to 
go  faster.  I  could  not  cast  from  my  mind  the  notion 
that  more  parties  of  Pawnees,  Dacotas,  or  other 
hostile  tribes  might  be  about,  driven  out  by  hunger 
to  forage  in  the  neighborhood,  and  were  very  likely 
to  attack  them.   I  had  therefore  what  I  might  have 


76  IHck  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

called  a  presentiment  that  my  friends  were  in  dau 
ger.  I  am  not  generally  influenced  much  by  such 
sensations.  Certainly  I  was  more  liable  to  be  so  at 
the  present  moment  than  at  any  other.  I  do  not 
deny  the  existence  of  such  an  influence,  but  still  I 
cannot  help  thinking  that  it  is  caused  by  our  reason, 
which  tells  us  that  such  a  thing  is  likely  to  happen. 
Sometimes  it  does  happen,  but  often  probably  we 
find  that  we  are  mistaken.  My  red  friends  had  an 
idea  that  the  stick  I  had  placed  in  the  ground  had 
something  to  do  with  the  matter,  and  that  I  was 
positively  informed  of  what  was  about  to  occur,  so 
hurried  on  faster  than  I  found  agreeable.  My  feet 
had  become  very  sore  from  my  previous  exercise, 
and  whenever  we  came  to  soft  places  they  sunk  into 
the  snow,  the  thick  cake  of  ice  above  cutting  my 
ancles  almost  to  the  bone.  Sometimes  I  felt  that  I 
must  stop,  but  I  was  anxious  to  help  my  new  friends, 
and  I  knew  that  it  would  never  do  even  to  appear 
to  flag  on  such  an  occasion.  I  had  won  their  good 
opinion  by  the  powers  of  endurance  I  had  hitherto 
exhibited.  They  especially  admired  me  for  killing 
the  two  Pawnees,  and  for  escaping  from  their  com 
rades  ;  though  they  could  not  understand  why  I  liad 
not  destroyed  the  whole  gang  when  I  had  the  power 
of  doing  so,  and  of  adorning  my  belt  with  their 
scalps.  I  saw,  therefore,  that  it  would  be  very  dis- 
advantageous to  n*e  to  run  any  risk  of  being  lowered 
in  their  estimation.     John  Pipestick  and  one  of  the 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  11 

Indians  remained  with  me,  while  the  others  went 
on  faster  ahead  ;  but,  exerting  myself  to  the  iitmosr, 
we  pushed  on  to  overtake  them.  Besides  the  idea 
which  I  had  originated,  that  their  friends  might  be 
attacked,  hunger  induced  them  to  move  at  a  rapid 
rate  ;  for  they  had  brought  but  a  scanty  supply  of 
provisions  with  them,  and  they  had  no  means  of 
cooking  the  rice  found  in  the  tent.  We  were  passing 
a  wood  when  I  stopped  my  companions,  for  my  eye 
had  fallen  on  several  prairie  fowls  sitting  on  the 
boughs  of  one  of  the  outer  trees  a  little  way  off. 

"  We  should  have  no  chance  of  hitting  at  this 
distance,"  said  John  Pipestick. 

"  Stay  then,  I  will  try  what  my  rifle  can  do,"  I 
answered  ;  and  creeping  carefully  up  till  I  got  them 
within  easy  range,  I  settled  in  my  mind  which  bird 
I  should  fire  at  with  my  first,  and  which  with  my 
second  barrel.  I  let  fly,  down  tumbled  a  bird,  and 
the  next  barrel  was  even  more  fortunate  than  the 
first,  for  two  birds  were  brought  to  the  ground. 
Both  my  companions  warmly  expressed  their  de- 
light. I  had  established  my  fame  as  a  first-rate 
shot,  and  had  moreover  provided  the  whole  party 
with  a  meal.  Knowing  how  welcome  we  should  be, 
my  companions  helping  me  along,  we  pushed  on, 
and  at  length  overtook  our  friends,  preparing  to 
camp  for  half  an  hour  or  so  in  the  thicket,  tliat  they 
might  be  the  better  able  afterwards  to  pursue  their 
course.     I  need  not  say  that  the  game  I  brought 

7« 


78  Dick  Ofisloiv  and  the  Red  Skins : 

was  thankfully  welcomed,  and  very  quickly  cooked 
and  consumed.  I  found  that  the  Indians  were 
growing  anxious  at  not  by  this  time  meeting  with 
the  rest  of  their  party,  and  they  were  about,  while 
resting,  to  hold  a  consultation  as  to  what  course  to 
pursue.  We  were  soon  again  in  motion  ;  night  or 
day  made  no  difference  to  us.  On  we  pushed.  It 
was  about  noon  when,  on  reaching  a  height,  we  saw 
a  thin  light  smoke  curling  up  into  the  pure  intense 
blue  sky,  from  the  bottom  of  a  pine-clad  ravine 
below  us.  All  appeared  to  rest  in  perfect  peace  and 
quietness,  and  I  began  to  be  ashamed  of  my  nervous 
anxieties.  I  was  greatly  afraid  that  I  should  lose 
my  influence  with  my  friends,  and  as  my  predic- 
tions, or  rather  warnings,  had  not  been  verified,  I 
should  in  future  be  looked  on  as  a  false  prophet. 

"  There  are  our  friends,  most  probably,"  said 
John  Pipestick  ;  "  but  we  don't  proceed  as  careless- 
ly as  you  people  from  the  East  are  apt  to  do.  We 
shall  send  out  scouts  and  approach  cautiously,  lest 
our  enemies  devise  some  means  to  destroy  us. 
Such  a  thing  has  been  done  before  now.  Those 
left  in  an  encampment  while  the  rest  have  beeu 
out  hunting  have  been  attacked  and  slaughtered, 
while  their  enemies  have  taken  possession  of  their 
tents,  and  dressed  and  painted  themselves  like 
those  they  have  killed.  They  have  remained  till 
the  hunting  party  have  unsuspiciously  returned, 
perhaps  a  few  at  a  time,  and  thus  all  in  detail  have 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  79 

fallen  victims.  It  was  a  clever  trick,  but  we  should 
deserve  to  die  if  we  allowed  it  to  be  repeated  on 
us."  While  John  was  speaking,  three  of  our  party, 
making  a  wide  circuit,  crept  cautiously  forward  to- 
ward the  edge  of  the  ravine,  so  that  they  might 
look  down  and  see  what  was  going  on  below.  We 
meantime  lay  down  behind  some  bushes  so  as  to  be 
completely  concealed,  the  chief  only  keeping 
watch  that  he  might  direct  us  to  act  according  to 
circumstances.  I  could  not  help  admiring  their 
caution,  though  it  was  very  tiresome  to  wait  in  the 
cold  instead  of  being  within  their  warm  tents.  At 
last,  the  chief  gave  the  sign  for  us  to  proceed.  I 
started  up,  prepared  to  meet  the  enemy  I  expect- 
ed. We  advanced  toward  the  edge  of  the  ravine 
and  begun  to  descend,  when  we  caught  sight  of  the 
tents  pitched  at  the  bottom  of  it,  the  smoke  issuing 
forth  from  the  apertures  in  tlieir  summits.  I  in- 
quired of  John  Pipestick  if  all  was  right. 

"  Yes,  all  right,"  he  answered ;  "  no  enemies 
have  come ;  they  may  perhaps  though ;  but  we 
shall  not  remain  here  many  hours." 

The  scene  was  very  different  from  any  I  had, 
for  many  weeks,  set  eyes  on.  By  the  side  of  what 
I  knew  was  a  stream  were  three  tents.  Each  was 
formed  of  some  eighteen  or  twenty  long  slender 
rods,  the  butt-end  stuck  in  the  ground  in  a  circle, 
and  the  tops  bent  over  to  meet  each  other,  forming 
the  framework  of  the  habitation.     Over  this  was 


80  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

stretched  a  covering  of  buffalo-skins,  very  neatlj 
sewed  together  with  thin  strips  of  leather,  and  se- 
cured so  firmly  at  the  foot  with  pegs,  that  it  was  as 
tight  as  a  drum,  and  capable  of  throwing  off  any 
amount  of  rain,  or  the  snow  melting  from  the  heat 
within.  The  hides,  being  tanned  white,  had  a  very 
neat  and  tent-like  look.  I  cannot  say  much  for  the 
cleanliness  inside,  but  I  have  been  compelled  in 
my  wanderings  to  put  up  in  dirtier  places,  and 
that  is  all  I  can  say  in  their  favor.  These  habita- 
tions are  much  more  substantial  than  the  wigwams 
of  the  Canadian  Indians,  which  are  formed  in  a 
conical  shape  by  uniting  at  the  top  a  dozen  straight 
poles  stuck  in  a  circle  in  the  ground,  and  by  cover- 
ing them  thickly  with  birch  bark.  In  both  cases, 
a  hole  is  left  at  the  top  to  serve  as  a  chimney.  In- 
side the  tents  of  my  present  friends,  the  ground 
was  spread  with  mats  all  round  the  edges,  except 
in  the  centre,  where  a  bare  spot  was  left  for  the 
fireplace.  Many  of  the  tribes  differ  in  the  way  of 
forming  their  cooking-place,  and  often  the  only 
means  of  ascertaining  whether  friends  or  foes  have 
encamped  on  the  spot,  is  by  an  examination  of  the 
place  where  they  have  lit  their  fires.  The  cots  for 
the  babies,  and  the  pots  and  pans,  and  bows  and 
arrows,  and  fishing  spears,  and  buffalo  tongues, 
and  bears'  hams,  with  numberless  other  articles, 
are  hung  up  to  the  tent  rods,  and  often  garnisb 
them  rather  oddly.     As  we  approached  the  tents, 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  81 

men,  women,  and  children  hurried  out  to  meet  us, 
and  welcomed  us  warmly,  all  eager  to  hear  our  ad- 
ventures. But  Indians  are  not  addicted  to  rattling 
out  news,  as  is  our  habit  in  the  old  country,  so 
they  had  to  wait  till  various  ceremonies  were  first 
gone  through. 

The  old  chief  invited  me  into  his  tent,  an  honor 
John  advised  me  not  to  refuse,  and  then  having 
sat  down  before  his  fire,  and  taken  off  my  outer 
coat  and  my  torn  mocassins,  his  women-kind 
hooked  out  of  a  huge  pot  hanging  from  the  centre 
over  the  fire,  a  lump  of  bear's  flesh,  and  several 
other  dainties,  the  exact  nature  of  which  I  could 
not  at  first  learn.  Curiosity  prompted  me  to  in- 
quire, by  holding  up  a  piece  of  the  meat  between 
my  thumb  and  fingers,  when  a  respectable  old 
dame,  whom  I  took  to  be  his  spouse,  replied  by  a 
"  bow-wow-wow,"  by  which  I  guessed  rightly  that 
it  was  a  bit  of  a  young  puppy.  A  few  days  after- 
wards a  deep  "  bow-wow-wow  "  showed  me  that  I 
was  dining  off  an  older  animal  of  the  same  species. 
I  cannot  say  that  I  had  any  repugnance  to  the 
meat,  for  after  living  on  wolves'  flesh  for  so  long,  it 
was  to  me  a  delicate  luxury.  I  objected  rather  to 
the  quantity  than  the  quality  of  the  food  placed  be- 
fore me,  for  the  old  chief —  Wag-gum-wmne-deg 
was  his  name,  at  least  it  sounded  like  that  —  wish- 
ing to  do  me  unusual  honor,  gave  me  a  double  al- 
lowance each  time  he*  stuck  his  stick  into  the  pot. 


82  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

I  expressed  my  gratitude  as  well  as  I  could,  and 
pointed  first  to  my  cliest  and  then  to  my  throat,  to 
show  him  that  I  thought  the  food  must  have  got 
thus  high ;  hut  he  only  laughed,  and  kept  on  help- 
ing me  as  before.  At  last  I  stuck  a  piece  in  my 
mouth,  and  pretended  that  I  could  not  get  it  down 
further ;  but  he  was  too  good  an  anatomist  to  be  so 
taken  in,  and  offered  to  get  a  ramrod  to  help  me 
down  with  it.  "  Now,  old  fellow,"  said  I,  getting 
savage,  "  it  may  be  a  very  good  joke  to  you ;  but 
more  I  will  not  eat,  and  that's  enough."  Luckily, 
John  Pipestick  coming  in,  explained  that  though 
Englishmen  eat  as  much  as  any  Red  Skins,  they 
were  in  the  habit  of  taking  several  moderate  meals 
during  every  day  throughout  the  year,  and  that 
the  Indian  fashion  of  one  day  gormandizing,  and 
for  many  days  starving,  would  not  suit  them.  I 
was  not  sorry  to  find  that  my  friends  were  almost 
as  much  tired  as  I  was,  and  that  they  would  re- 
main another  whole  day  to  rest.  During  the  day, 
however,  I  received  a  piece  of  information  from 
John  Pipestick,  which  somewhat  discomposed  me. 
I  found  that  the  old  chief,  my  host  Waggum-win- 
ne-beg,  proposed  bestowing  on  me  one  of  his 
daughters  to  become  my  wife.  Now,  although  I 
had  no  dislike  to  the  notion  of  matrimony,  I  had  a 
decided  preference  for  a  wife  of  my  own  color  and 
style  of  education.  Miss  W^ggum-winne-beg  was 
a  very  charming  young  lady,  I  had  no  doubt,  and 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  83 

could  dress  a  puppy-dog  to  perfection,  and  could 
manufacture  mocassins  unsurpassed  by  those  of 
any  other  young  damsel  in  the  tribe,  and  embroid- 
er with  colored  grass,  to  make  mats  of  great  beau- 
ty ;  indeed,  I  cannot  enumerate  all  her  accom- 
plishments and  attractions.  Still  she  had  not  won 
my  heart ;  and,  indeed,  a  wife,  whetlier  white,  or 
red,  or  black,  would  have  been  very  inconvenient 
while  I  was  leading  my  present  wandering  style  of 
life.  I  gave  this,  as  the  best  reason  I  could  tliink 
of  for  not  accepting  my  host's  generous  offer  ;  but 
he  laughed  at  my  scruples,  and  replied,  that  I 
should  find  a  wife  very  useful,  as  she  could  work 
for  me,  and  carry  my  gun  and  baggage  of  every 
description,  that  she  would  also  cook  my  food  and 
make  my  mocassins  and  tent  covering,  and  weave 
fringe  for  my  leggings  and  other  garments,  and 
manufacture  the  mats  and  various  requisite  uten- 
sils. Indeed,  it  would  be  difficult  to  find,  in  any 
part  of  the  world,  so  accomplished  a  young  lady,  or 
one  more  industrious  and  obedient ;  that  I  might 
always  beat  her  as  much  as  I  liked,  if  I  found  her 
either  idle  or  disobedient. 

I  begged  Pipestick  to  explain  that,  however  good 
the  customs  of  the  Red  Skins  were  —  a  point  I  did 
not  wish  then  to  dispute  —  those  of  the  English 
differed  from  them  ;  that  tliere  were  a  few  idle, 
lazy,  good-for-nothing  fellows  in  England,  among 
the  chiefs,  who  looked  out  for  wives  with  fortunes, 


84  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

and  among  the  lower  classes,  who  made  their  wives 
work  for  them ;  but  it  was  the  pride  and  endeavor 
of  all  true  Braves  to  secure  the  means  of  support- 
ing their  wives,  either  through  inheriting  a  fortune 
from  their  ancestors,  or  by  the  exertion  of  their 
own  strength  and  talents,  and  that  this  latter  way 
was  considered  the  most  honorable.  This  was  the 
method  I  proposed  to  follow,  and  before  I  could 
accept  the  peerless  daughter  of  the  chief,  I  must 
procure  the  means  of  supporting  her.  Pipestick 
did  not  exactly  understand  the  reasons  I  gave  for 
declining  the  chiefs  offer,  but  he  explained  them 
as  well  as  he  could.  I  was  rather  posed  when  the 
chief  remarked  that,  though  he  approved  of  them 
highly,  he  would  wave  all  such  arrangements  in 
my  case,  and  that  he  would  supply  his  daughter 
with  ample  goods  and  chattels  for  our  use.  To 
this  I  could  only  reply  that  I  was  highly  flattered 
by  his  preference,  but  that  it  was  against  my  Medi- 
cine to  avail  myself  of  his  offer ;  that  I  was  an 
Ottoe  at  heart ;  that  I  loved  the  Ottoes,  and  would 
fight  for  the  Ottoes,  and  that  the  time  might  come 
when  I  should  be  an  Ottoe  indeed ;  but  that,  at 
present,  my  Medicine  did  not  show  me  how  that 
was  tc  be  accomplished. 

The  name  of  the  young  lady,  the  subject  of  this 
long  conversation,  was,  I  found,  the  "  Firefly ; " 
and  certainly,  as  I  watched  her  light  figure,  decked 
with   red  feathers,  and    garments   with  red  trim- 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  85 

mings,  I  thought  she  was  very  appropriately  so 
called  ;  at  the  same  time,  I  did  not,  for  one  mo- 
ment, indulge  the  base  idea  of  accepting  the  chief's 
offer.  My  earnest  desire  was  to  find  my  way  back, 
as  soon  as  possible,  to  the  society  of  civilized  men. 
I  was  heartily  glad,  then,  when,  once  more,  our 
tents  were  struck,  and  we  continued  our  journey. 
As  we  travelled  with  women,  children,  and  a 
waggon,  our  progress  was  very  much  slower  than 
when  we  had  gone  alone.  Often  it  was  hard  work 
getting  the  waggon  through  the  snow.^^  Generally 
the  poor  women  had  to  drag  it ;  and  I  rather 
scandalized  the  red  warriors  by  putting  my  shoulder 
very  frequently  to  the  wheel,  and  by  pushing  on 
behind.  Pipestick  said  that  it  was  considered  very 
derogatory  to  the  dignity  of  a  warrior.  I  said  that 
I  thought  it  might  be  disagreeable  to  the  inclina- 
tions of  an  idle  rascal ;  but  that  chiefs  in  my 
country  never  let  their  wives  do  any  hard  work  at 
all,  and  that  I  could  not  bear  to  stalk  on  ahead 
with  only  my  rifle  at  my  back,  while  the  poor  crea- 
tures were  toiling  away  in  that  fashion.  I  suppose 
Pipestick  translated  my  remarks  correctly,  for  the 
chiefs  tossed  their  heads,  and  afterwards  had  a 
very  long  talk  about  the  matter.  I  saw  that  they 
began  to  look  on  me  as  a  sad  republican,  and  to 
suspect  that  I  purposed  introducing  mutiny  into 
their  camp. 
At  last  we  reached  the  spot  where  I  had  spent  so 
8 


86  Dick  Onsloiv  and  the  Red  Skins : 

many  weeks  of  suffering  and  anxiety.  Scarcely  a 
particle  of  the  remains  of  the  Indians  were  to  bo 
seen,  but  a  few  scattered  bones  and  torn  bits  of 
garments.  The  things  hidden  by  tlie  Ottoes  were 
untouched,  so  they  dug  them  up,  and  I  having 
added  a  few  words  to  the  paper  in  my  Medicine 
stick,  as  I  called  it,  we  proceeded  on  our  way.  We 
encamped  four  or  five  miles  off  that  night,  and  the 
next  day  made  good  very  nearly  fifteen  miles.  The 
tents  were  pitched  on  the  lee  side  of  a  wood,  where 
there  was  but  little  snow,  and  the  air  was  compara- 
tively warm.  All  hands,  that  is  to  say  the  women 
and  children,  were  soon  employed  in  gathering 
sticks  for  our  fires,  and  in  digging  up  hickory  nuts. 
It  was  the  chief  occupation  of  the  men,  in  the 
evening,  as  they  sat  round  the  fire,  to  crack  and 
chew  these  nuts :  the  taste  indeed  was  pleasant. 
The  camp  was  not  left  altogether  without  some  forti- 
fication. The  waggon  was  placed  in  front,  and  some 
logs  of  half-rotten  timber  were  dragged  out,  and 
served  to  fill  up  the  space  left  open  in  the  little 
nook  in  which  the  tents  were  ensconced.  John 
Pipestick  had  a  tent  of  his  own,  but  he  came  to  the 
old  chief's  tent,  where  I  had  been  asked  to  take  uji 
my  abode,  to  act  as  interpreter.  We  sat  up  till  a  late 
hour,  cracking  nuts  and  telling  very  long-winded 
stories,  which,  as  Pipestick  occasionally  interpreted 
them  for  my  benefit,  took  up  a  double  portion  of 
time,  and  were  not  specially  interesting.      I  was 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  87 

not  sorry,  at  last,  to  find  myself  comfortably  covered 
up  by  a  pile  of  buffalo  skins,  with  the  prospect  of  a 
sound  sleep  till  daylight.  How  long  I  had  slept  I 
do  not  know,  wlien  I  was  awoke  by  the  barking  of 
one  of  the  dogs,  then  by  another  and  another,  till 
the  whole  tribe  were  in  full  yelp,  in  every  key, 
from  full  bass  to  double  treble.  The  old  chief 
sprung  off  his  couch,  so  did  I,  and  as  we  rushed 
out  of  the  tent,  we  found  all  the  warriors  standing 
on  the  alert,  and  with  their  rifles  in  their  hands, 
peering  out  into  the  darkness.  Two  or  three  ad- 
vanced cautiously  into  the  wood,  the  dogs  following 
at  their  heels  yelping  furiously,  till  they  were 
summoned  back  by  those  in  the  camp.  I  tried  to 
discover  the  cause  of  the  alarm,  but  could  discover 
nothing  over  the  white  plain  spread  out  before  us. 
If  there  were  enemies,  they  were  in  the  wood  ;  but 
to  see  them  was  impossible.  We  waited  for  the 
return  of  the  scouts.  There  was  a  complete  silence : 
the  howl  of  the  wolves  had  ceased  ;  not  a  night 
bird  disturbed  the  quiet  of  the  night.  Suddenly 
a  piercing,  terror-inspiring,  unearthly  shriek  was 
lieard  ringing  through  the  quiet  wood.  Directly 
afterwards  the  feet  of  one  of  the  scouts,  as  we  sup- 
posed, were  heard  rushing  through  the  wood.  It 
was  one  of  our  companions.  The  whirl  of  a  dozen 
tomahawks  flying  after  him,  showed  how  closely 
he  was  pursued,  as  he  broke  into  the  encampment, 
crying  out,  "  The  enemy  are  upon  us,  the  enemy 


88  Dick  Onslow  a^ul  the  Red  Skins : 

are  upon  us ! "  Wliat  made  the  suspense  more 
trying  was,  that  not  a  foe  could  be  seen.  We  had 
no  doubt  that  they  were  there  in  strong  force,  and 
that  the  two  other  scouts  had  been  surprised  and 
slaughtered  by  them.  Probably  the  wood  swarmed 
with  them,  yet  I  did  not  see  a  sign  of  fear  among 
any  of  my  friends.  Old  Waggum-winne-beg  was 
in  his  element,  and  he  was  ably  seconded  by  John 
Pipestick.  To  send  any  more  scouts  into  the  wood 
would  have  been  perfect  madness;  so,  each  man 
sheltering  himself  as  best  he  could  behind  trees  and 
bushes,  and  logs  of  fallen  timbers,  we  waited  in 
silence  for  the  attack.     Some  time  passed  away. 

"  I  wonder  if  it  is  a  false  alarm,"  thought  I. 
"  Still,  if  it  is  so,  what  has  become  of  the  scouts  ?  " 
I  whispered  to  Pipestick  that  I  thought  it  might  be 
a  mistake. 

"  Not  at  all,"  was  the  answer ;  "  wait  a  bit.  If 
you  ever  shot  well,  shoot  well  now,  if  you  care  foi 
your  scalp." 

The  advice  had  scarcely  been  given,  when  there 
arose  a  sound  close  to  us,  more  hideous  and  terrific 
than  I  ever  before  heard  in  my  life.  The  Red  Skin's 
war-whoop  was  heard  above  all.  I  turned  my  head 
for  an  instant  to  the  east.  The  first  faint  streaks 
of  dawn  were  appearing  in  the  sky.  Through  the 
pale  light  thus  afforded,  I  could  see  a  number  of 
dark  forms  flitting  about  among  the  trees,  while 
they  kept  up  a  continual  discharge  of  arrows  and 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  8C' 

darts.  Now  and  then  a  musket-ball  came  whizzing 
by  us ;  but  it  was  very  evident  that  the  greater 
number  of  our  assailants  were  armed  only  with 
bows  and  arrows  ;  at  the  same  time  there  cculd  be 
no  doubt  that  they  very  far  outnumbered  us.  This 
would  prove  of  serious  consequence  should  they 
come  to  close  quarters.  Red  Skins,  however,  are 
not  fond  of  close  quarters,  unless  they  can  take  an 
enemy  by  surprise,  which  our  dogs  and  scouts  had 
prevented  them  doing  in  our  case.  I  do  not  think 
it  is  fair  to  call  them  cowards.  Their  notions  are 
altogether  different  to  ours,  and  they  consider  strat- 
agem and  deceit  as  the  chief  art  of  warfare.  They 
have  no  notion  of  risking  their  own  lives,  if  they  can 
by  any  other  way  destroy  their  enemies,  and  they 
consider  white  men  as  committing  the  height  of  folly 
when  they  stand  up  and  exchange  shots  with  similar 
weapons  in  a  duel.  I  don't  know  tliat  they  are  far 
wrong.  Our  assailants  having  tried  to  shake  our 
nerves  by  their  shrieks  and  showers  of  arrows, 
appeared  to  retire,  and  again  the  whole  wood  was 
wrapped  in  perfect  silence.  It  was  but  of  short  con- 
tinuation. Once  more  those  unearthly  shrieks  and 
cries  broke  forth,  and  this  time  they  were  echoed  by 
our  people,  who  kept  their  muskets  ready,  and  the 
moment  an  enemy  appeared  flitting  from  one  tree 
to  another,  did  not  fail  to  fire  —  with  what  effect  I 
had  not  time  to  observe.  I  felt  that  I  was  bound, 
on  every  account,  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  fight, 
8* 


90  Dick  On.<J(ni'  and  the  Red  Skins: 

and  kneeling  down  behind  a  log  of  timber,  I  loaded 
and  fired  as  rapidly  as  I  could  whenever  my  eye 
caught  sight  of  the  dusky  form  of  an  Indian  warrior. 
I  did  not  often  miss,  but  I  suspected  that  I  inflicted 
more  wounds  on  the  limbs  than  on  the  bodies  of  our 
enemies. 

"  Who  are  tliey,  think  you  ? "  I  asked  of  Pipe- 
stick,  who  was  at  my  side. 

"  Dacotas  or  Pawnees,"  he  answered.  "  They 
have  had  scouts  on  our  trail  for  some  time  probably. 
When  they  discovered  that  their  friends  were  de- 
stroyed, they  thought  that  we  had  done  the  deed, 
and  have  come  in  force  resolved  to  be  revenged." 

It  appeared  to  me  that  we  might  as  well  have 
tried  to  slioot  down  all  the  trees  in  the  wood,  as  to 
destroy  our  enemies.  They  swarmed  round  us  like 
hornets,  seemingly  resolved,  as  John  observed,  to 
cut  us  off  to  a  man.  I  turned  my  eye  to  the  right ; 
a  band  was  just  emerging  on  that  side  from  the 
wood,  and  the  same  minute  I  saw  another  coming 
out  on  the  left,  in  a  long  line,  evidently  for  the  pur- 
pose of  surrounding  us.  I  picked  off  two  or  three 
fellows  as  they  flew  over  the  snow,  but  so  rapid  and 
eccentric  were  their  movements  that  it  was  no  easy 
matter  to  get  a  fair  shot  at  them,  especially  as  all 
the  time  we  were  assailed  with  showers  of  arrows 
Some  were  sent  from  too  great  a  distance  to  do  us 
much  harm  ;  but  at  the  same  time  they  not  a  little 
distracted  us.    Others  again  had  more  deadly  effect. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West  91 

Some  of  our  people  were  struck  down ;  two  were 
killed  outright,  the  arrows  passing  right  through 
their  bodies ;  while  several  were  more  or  less  in- 
jured. I  happily  had  hitherto  escaped  unhurt,  and 
so  had  Pipestick ;  but  the  old  chief  was  wounded 
in  the  arm,  and  one  of  the  poor  little  children  was 
killed,  in  spite  of  the  protection  its  mother  attempted 
to  afford  it.  This  made  me  feel  more  bitter  than 
any  thing  else,  and  yet  such  an  incident  is  but  a  too 
common  consequence  of  warfare. 

The  old  chief  proved  himself  well  worthy  of  the 
dignity  bestowed  on  him.  By  word  and  gesture  he 
animated  his  people  to  fight  bravely,  and  to  resist 
to  the  last ;  and  every  time  they  raised  one  of  their 
war-whoops  he  led  tlie  chorus,  which  tliose  returned 
with  no  less  vehemence.  Still,  as  I  considered  the 
matter,  I  began  to  apprehend  that  we  were  com- 
pletely in  the  power  of  our  vindictive  enemies. 
While  we  were  inside  our  entrenchments,  they 
knew  that  it  was  more  prudent  not  to  come  to  a 
hand-to-hand  encounter ;  but  if  we  attempted  to 
move  onward,  we  should  be  instantly  surrounded 
and  cut  down.  The  Dacotas  had  enough  men  to 
keep  watch  and  watch,  and  to  tire  us  out.  Had  we 
been  a  party  of  men  alone,  we  might  have  cut  our 
way  through  them  ;  but,  of  course,  with  the  women 
and  children  that  was  impossible.  As  long  as  the 
powder  lasted  we  might  keep  them  at  bay ;  and 
thus  all  we  could  do  was  to  hold  out  bravely,  and 
to  hope  that  some  turn  might  occur  in  our  favor. 


92  Dick  Onsloiv  and  the  Red  Skins : 

The  cold  gray  dawn  was  just  breaking,  when  with 
shrieks  and  whoops  louder,  more  terrific  than  ever, 
numbers  of  the  savages  rushed  out  of  the  wood, 
closely  pressing  round  us.  To  count  how  many 
there  were  was  impossible,  for  they  flew  here  and 
there,  and  sprang  about  in  a  most  wonderful  way, 
and  then  on  they  came  in  a  body  toward  us.  Sev- 
eral of  our  people  were  knocked  over,  and  as  I  saw 
the  hideous  fellows  flourishing  their  tomahawks  and 
scalping  knives,  I  began  to  feel  a  most  painful  sen- 
sation round  the  top  of  my  head.  The  old  chief 
stood  boldly  at  his  post,  picking  off"  his  enemies  as 
they  drew  near,  while  John  Pipestick  did  no  dis- 
honor to  his  father's  land  or  the  men  of  Kent.  I 
did  my  best  to  reduce  the  number  of  our  foes,  but 
it  was  of  little  avail,  and  in  another  instant  we  were 
engaged,  with  overwhelming  numbers,  in  a  desper- 
ate hand-to-hand  conflict.  I  looked  around ;  not  a 
ray  of  hope  appeared,  and  thus  like  brave  men  we 
resolved  to  make  our  foes  pay  a  heavy  price  for  our 
lives. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West,  93 


CHAPTER  VI. 

(htr  powder  expended.  —  /  believe  that  my  last  moment  has  arrived.  — 
Unexpected  succw.  —  A  dangerotis  predica7nent.  —  Obed's  gaUan- 
try.  —  Our  enemies  take  to  flight.  —  We  recommence  our  journey.  — 
Generosity  of  the  old  chief.  —  Offers  me  two  wives  instead  of  one.  — 
Obed's  narrative.  —  How  he  escaped  from  the  bear.  —  A  fretk 
alarm.  —  The  approach  of  a  stranger. 

The  infuriated  Dacotas  thronged  thickly  around 
us,  uttering  the  most  horrible  yells  and  shrieks, 
those  in  the  distance  plying  us  incessantly  with 
their  arrows  and  darts,  while  those  in  the  front 
ranks  kept  whirling  their  tomahawks  above  our 
heads,  watching  for  an  opportunity  to  send  them 
crushing  down  upon  our  skulls.  Not  a  sliot  was 
heard  ;  our  rifles  were  useless  ;  all  our  powder  was 
expended.  We  fought  as  men  driven  to  desper- 
ation generally  will  fight ;  for  none  of  us  had,  I 
am  sure,  the  faintest  hope  of  escaping  with  our 
lives ;  for  my  part,  I  fully  believed  that  the  next 
moment  would  be  my  last.  Old  Wiggum-winne- 
beg  had  received  a  desperate  wound  on  his  shoul- 
der, and  had  been  beaten  to  the  ground ;  the 
gallant  Pipestick  had  been  brought  on  his  knee, 
and  I  found  myself  without  support  on  either  side 
just  as  a  gigantic   chief  with   uplifted   battle-axe 


94  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

made  a  desperate  rush  at  me.  I  raised  the  butt- 
end  of  my  rifle,  which  had  hitherto  done  me  such 
good  service,  to  parry  the  blow,  but  I  felt  conscious 
that  it  would  not  avail  me.  I  was  in  the  power  of 
my  vindictive  enemy.  1  saw  the  keen-edged  weapon 
gliltering  in  the  first  beams  of  the  rising  sun  as  the 
glorious  luminary  of  day  appeared  above  the  snow- 
covered  plain  ;  I  felt  as  if  in  another  instant  it 
would  come  crushing  through  my  brain,  when  the 
sharp  crack  of  a  distant  rifle  sounded  in  my  ear, 
and  I  saw  my  enemy  leap  up  in  tlie  air  and  fall 
dead  at  my  side,  his  axe  missing  my  head  and  just 
grazing  my  arm.  I  eagerly  looked  forth  in  the  di- 
rection whence  the  shot  had  come,  to  discover,  if 
I  could,  by  whom  I  had  been  preserved.  I  could 
as  yet  see  no  one,  but  I  observed  that  our  assailants 
were  influenced  by  some  disturbing  cause,  and 
were  gathering  together  in  the  north-west,  as  if  to 
prepare  for  resisting  some  expected  attack.  Still 
those  near  us  seemed  resolved  to  gratify  their  vin- 
dictive feelings  by  destroying  us  if  they  could 
before  our  unknown  friends  could  come  to  our  aid. 
I  had  little  doubt  that  the  party  who  had  appeared 
60  opportunely  to  relieve  us  must,  by  some  means 
or  other,  have  been  collected  by  Obed  ;  and  I  prayed 
heartily  that  it  might  be  of  sufficient  strength  at 
once  to  put  our  enemies  to  flight.  I  had  little 
time,  however,  to  think  about  the  matter.  The 
Indians  pressed  us  harder  than  ever,  and  scarcely 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  95 

a  man  of  us  remained  un wounded,  while  many  of 
the  poor  women  were  hurt.  The  rest  of  the  women 
fought  with  as  much  fierceness  and  desperation  as 
the  men.  Yet  I  felt  that  in  spite  of  all  the  heroism 
which  had  been  exhibited,  and  in  spite  of  the  aid 
which  was  so  close  at  liand,  our  lives  would  bo 
sacrificed.  Again  the  Dacotas  gathered  thick 
around  us  ;  I  could  not  restrain  myself ;  I  shouted 
loudly  for  help,  though  I  scarcely  expected  it  to  be 
sent :  my  shout  was  replied  to  by  a  hearty  cheer, 
and  nearly  a  dozen  white  men,  followed  by  three 
times  as  many  Indians,  broke  through  the  masses 
of  our  enemies  with  sword  and  battle-axe  and  club, 
and  beat  them  down  or  drove  them  back,  shrieking 
and  howling  with  rage  and  fear.  One  figure  I 
recognized,  more  active  than  the  rest,  making  his 
way  toward  me.     It  was  that  of  Obed. 

"  Hurra,  old  feller,  hurra !  I  am  glad  you're 
safe,  that  I  am,"  he  shouted,  as  he  sprang  over  the 
barricade,  and  grasped  my  hand. 

"  But  we  must  drive  these  varmint  away,  or 
shoot  them  down  every  mother's  son  of  them,  or 
they'll  be  gaining  heart  and  coming  back  on  us. 
Come  on,  lads ;  come  on  —  hurra,  hurra  !  " 

Uttering  these  shouts,  he  again  leaped  out  of  our 
encampment,  and  beckoning  on  his  followers,  they 
were  all  once  more  in  pursuit  of  the  flying  enemy. 
Just  as  he  went,  Obed  handed  me  a  powder-flask 
and  a  bag  of  bullets. 


96  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

"  You'll  want  them,  boy,  I  guess  ;  and  I  have 
plenty,"  he  said,  as  he  flew  off. 

I  was  about  to  join  him,  when  I  found  my  limbs 
j-efuse  to  perform  their  office.  The  moans  also  of 
old  Waggum-winne-beg,  John  Pipestick,  as  well  as 
others  of  my  companions,  made  me  feel  that  I  must 
stay  where  I  was,  both  for  the  sake  of  attending  to 
them  and  of  guarding  them  should  any  of  the  Daco- 
tas  who  might  be  pTowling  about  in  the  wood  take 
the  opportunity,  while  our  friends  were  at  a  distance, 
to  rush  in  and  scalp  them,  and  be  off  again  before 
pursuit  could  be  made.  I  have  on  many  occasions 
found  the  importance  of  not  despising  an  enemy.  I 
urged  Pipestick  to  keep  a  look  out  while  I  was  at- 
tending to  the  hurts  of  the  old  chief,  and  helping 
Bome  of  the  poor  women  who  were  the  most  severely 
injured.  I  had  been  thus  employed  for  some  time, 
occasionally  looking  out  to  see  how  it  fared  with 
Obed  and  his  party  in  their  pursuit  of  the  enemy. 
Wherever  they  went,  the  Dacotas  scattered  before 
them,  but  rallied  again  directly  afterward  in  the 
distance,  and  seemed  as  ready  as  ever  to  renew  the 
attack.  When  I  looked  up  the  next  time,  they  were 
once  more  flying  as  chaff  before  the  wind.  I  at 
once  saw  that  their  purpose  was  to  weary  out  their 
pursuers,  and  then  to  unite  and  make  a  desperate 
attack  on  them  altogether.  I  hoped  that  my  friends 
would  be  too  wary  to  be  led  into  the  snare  laid  for 
them.  I  had  been  for  some  time  stooping  down  t^  try 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  97 

and  bind  up  the  lacerated  woimds  of  a  poor  fellow 
who  had  been  cruelly  cut  about  by  the  Indians'  toma- 
hawks, when  a  shout  from  Pipestick  made  me  lift  up 
my  head,  and  I  saw  a  dozen  or  more  Dacotas  come 
scampering  like  demons  out  of  the  wood  with  the 
evident  intention  of  making  an  attack  on  us.  I 
sprang  to  my  feet,  and  helped  Pipestick  to  get  up. 
We  both  of  us  had  our  rifles  loaded,  as  had  several 
of  the  Indians,  from  the  ammunition  furnished  me 
by  Obed.  The  cunning  rogues  did  not  know  this, 
and  thought  that  they  were  going  to  catch  us  un- 
prepared. We  presented  our  rifles.  They  laughed 
derisively,  as  much  as  to  say,  "Oh,  they  will  do  us 
no  harm,  we  know  that."  Never  were  they  more 
mistaken  in  their  lives,  and  it  was  the  last  mistake 
they  ever  made.  We  let  them  come  on  without 
shrinking. 

"  John,"  said  I,  "  let  me  take  the  fellow  on  my 
right  hand  side  ;  do  you  take  the  next,  and  tell  our 
Indian  friends  to  follow  my  lead.  We'll  astonish 
those  Red  Skins,  I  guess." 

Pipestick  did  as  I  advised.  We  let  the  Indians 
approach  within  a  hundred  yards  of  us.  On  they 
came,  making  a  desperate  rush  at  us,  and  uttering 
tlioir  fearful  war-whoops  confident  c^f  victory. 

"  Now,  my  boys,  give  it  them,"  I  shoxited  ;  "  and 
take  care  that  every  shot  tells." 

Pipestick  repeated  my  words.  We  all  fired  at  the 
game  moment,  and  six  of  the  Indians  were  knocked 

9 


98  Dick  Onshw  and  the  Red  Skins : 

over.  So  eager  were  the  rest  that  they  did  not  dis 
cover  that  their  companions  had  fallen.  They  were 
still  very  formidable  antagonists.  We  had  not  time 
to  load  our  rifles  before  they  were  upon  us.  Pipe- 
stick,  in  consequence  of  his  wounds,  was  scarcely 
able  to  offer  any  effectual  resistance,  but  the  Indians 
fought  bravely,  and  all  the  women  who  were  unlnirt 
came  to  our  assistance.  I  certainly  was  very  far 
from  despising  their  assistance.  They  enabled  me 
and  Pipestick  to  fall  a  little  back  to  load  our  rifles 
and  those  of  our  companions,  and,  taking  a  steady 
aim,  we  soon  turned  the  fortunes  of  the  day.  Three 
more  Indians  were  knocked  over,  and  the  rest 
turned  tail  and  ran  off  as  fast  as  their  long  legs 
would  carry  them,  to  avoid  the  shots  which  were  sent 
whizzing  away  in  their  rear.  My  great  anxiety  was 
now  to  get  Obed  to  come  back  into  the  camp,  fear 
ing  lest  he  and  his  party  might  be  led  by  the 
manoeuvres  of  the  enemy  to  too  great  a  distance 
from  it,  and  that  the  Indians  might  get  in  between 
us  and  our  friends,  so  I  resolved  to  go  myself. 

There  was  no  time  for  consideration  :  loading  my 
rifle  and  seizing  the  tomahawk  of  one  of  the  dead 
Indians,  I  sprang  out  and  ran  faster  than  I  thought 
I  could  possibly  have  moved.  Just  as  I  had  got 
half  way  from  the  camp  toward  them,  another  party 
of  Indians  darted  out  of  the  wood  and  setting  up 
their  war-whoops  ran  out  with  terrible  fleetness 
toward  me.     I  ran  faster  I  believe  than  I  had  ever 


Ail  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  99 

before  done,  shouting  out  to  Obed  to  come  and  res- 
cue me.  He  at  that  time,  unfortunately,  was  re- 
pelling a  strong  body  of  Indians,  who  seemed  to 
press  him  very  hard.  I  saw  that  I  must  depend  on 
myself — I  halted,  and,  kneeling  down,  took  steady 
aim  at  the  headmost  of  my  pursuers.  He  was,  1 
thought,  aware  that  his  fate  was  sealed  when  he  saw 
me  pointing  my  rifle  at  him.  He  threw  up  his 
arms  even  before  I  had  fired,  and  then  over  he  fell 
shot  through  the  breast.  I  ran  on  as  hard  as  I  could 
pelt.  There  is  no  disgrace  running  from  an  over- 
powering enemy.  Again  and  again  I  shouted  at 
the  top  of  my  voice  to  Obed.  Tlie  Dacotas  pushed 
on.  I  loaded  as  I  ran.  I  thought  if  I  could  bring 
down  another  of  them  I  might  stop  the  progress 
of  the  rest.  With  no  little  difficulty  I  got  my 
rifle  ball  rammed  down.  I  turned  suddenly  and 
rather  surprised  my  pursuers  by  lifting  my  weapon 
to  my  shoulder  and  letting  fly  at  the  leading  Red 
Skin.  He,  as  had  his  companion,  tumbled  over,  but 
his  death  only  the  more  exasperated  the  rest,  and 
they  sprang  forward  more  intent  than  ever  to  take 
my  life.  There  was  no  time  to  load  again.  The  fel- 
lows were  gaining  most  uncomfortably  on  me.  I 
began  to  feel  very  much  as  a  person  does  in  a  dream, 
when  he  cannot  get  away  from  monsters  in  chase  of 
him.  "  Obed,  Obed,  fire  —  do  fire,"  I  shouted.  At 
length  Obed  heard  me  and  a  dozen  of  his  followers 
faced  about  and  hurried  to  meet  my  enemies.  The 
latter,  seeing  that  their  chance  of  cutting  me  ofi"  was 


100         Dick  Onsilow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

gone,  turned  tail  and  endeavored  to  escape  into  the 
wood.  1  entreated  my  new  friends  not  to  pursue 
them,  and  they  saw  the  wisdom  of  my  advice.  We 
accordingly  went  back  to  join  the  rest  of  the  party, 
who  had  come  to  my  relief.  What  was  my  sur- 
prise and  pleasure  to  see  three  of  my  old  friends, 
Obed's  brothers,  among  them.  Just  then  the  rem- 
nant of  the  Dacotas  once  more  took  to  flight  and 
allowed  my  friends  leisure  to  address  me.  They 
hurried  up  and  heartily  shook  me  by  the  hand, 
telling  how  glad  they  were  to  find  that  I  was  alive, 
while  I  assured  them  that  I  was  equally  rejoiced  to 
find  that  they  had  escaped.  We  had  no  time, 
however,  for  talking.  I  urged  them  at  once  to  as- 
semble in  the  camp,  so  as  to  enable  my  friends 
to  proceed  on  their  journey,  till  they  could  stop  at 
a  more  secure  resting-place.  We  got  back  to  the 
camp  just  in  time  to  scare  away  another  party  of 
Dacotas,  wlio  like  vultures  had  been  hovering 
about  ready  to  pounce  down  on  their  prey.  In- 
deed we  had  enough  to  do  to  keep  our  scattered 
enemies  at  bay.  We  found  old  Waggum-winne- 
beg  considerably  recovered,  and  John  Pipestick  not 
much  the  worse  for  his  wounds ;  indeed  it  is  extra- 
ordinary what  knocking  about  a  Red  Skin  will  take 
without  suffering  materially,  provided  he  keeps 
clear  of  the  fire-water. 

Some  of  the  white  men  when  they  found  that  I 
wished  to  proceed  further  east,  till  I  had  seen  my 
friends  in  safety,  grumbled  very  much,  and  said 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  101 

that  they  had  come  to  help  me,  but  had  no  notion 
of  going  through  so  much  fatigue  and  danger  for 
a  set  of  varmint  Indians.  I  told  them  in  reply 
that  I  was  very  much  obliged  to  them  for  all  they 
had  gone  through  on  my  account,  but  that  I  was 
bound  by  every  law  of  God,  and  by  every  rule  of 
right,  to  help  those  who  had  helped  me  ;  and  that, 
come  what  might,  I  could  not  and  would  not  desert 
them.  The  Raggets  supported  me,  more  especially 
Obed. 

"  Dick  is  right,  boys,"  he  exclaimed.  "  I  would 
do  the  same  as  he  proposes,  and  he  would  not  bo 
acting  like  himself  if  he  did  otherwise  ;  the  Ottoes 
have  always  been  friends  to  the  white  man,  and 
I've  resolved  to  stick  by  Dick  till  we  see  them  free 
from  danger  from  these  rascally  Dacotas. 

These  remarks  soon  won  over  by  far  the  larger 
portion  of  the  white  men  to  our  side,  tlie  Indians 
at  once  recognizing  their  duty  to  assist  their 
friends.  The  Red  Skins  who  had  accompanied 
Obed  were,  I  found,  Kioways,  a  large  tribe  inliab- 
iting  the  country  bordering  on  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. I  asked  Obed  how  he  had  induced  them  to 
accompany  him.  Oh,  it  is  a  long  story.  I'll  tell 
you  about  that  and  many  other  things  when  we 
have  more  time,"  he  replied. 

All  hands  now  set  to  work  to  strike  the  tents 
and  pack  the  waggons  ;  it  was  soon  done  and  the 
wounded  people  stowed  away  in  them  on  the  top 


102         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skin^ : 

of  their  goods.  Some  of  the  men  rather  objected 
to  have  the  poor  wounded  women  placed  in  tlie 
waggons  alongside  of  them,  and  seemed  to  think 
that,  as  long  as  the  unfortunate  wretches  had  life 
in  them  they  might  just  as  well  get  out  and  walk. 
Such  are  chivalric  notions  of  the  Indian  warriors 
w*;  read  so  much  about  in  novels,  and  our  young 
ladies  are  taught  to  fancy  such  fine  fellows.  They 
have,  notwithstanding,  some  few  good  qualities, 
but  those  belonging  to  the  ancient  code  of  chivalry 
are  not  among  them. 

We  had  not  yet  done  with  fighting,  and  we  had 
not  proceeded  a  mile  before  we  caught  sight  of  the 
Dacotas  hovering  about  us  to  the  northward,  watch- 
ing for  an  opportunity  to  pounce  down  upon  us. 
Although  a  good  many  of  their  warriors  had  been 
made  to  bite  the  dust,  they  still  so  far. outnum- 
bered our  united  parties  that  they  might  have  some 
hopes,  if  they  could  take  us  by  surprise,  to  cut  us 
up  altogether.  This,  of  course,  we  took  care  that 
they  should  not  do.  Our  attention,  however,  was 
so  much  occupied  that  Obed  had  no  time  to  give 
me  an  account  of  his  adventures.  Our  great  wish 
was  that  the  Indians  would  come  on  again  once 
more  and  allow  us  to  give  them  a  lesson  which  ve 
hoped  might  teach  them  to  keep  at  a  respectful 
distance  from  us.  We  pushed  on  as  fast  as  beasts 
and  men  could  move,  and  just  before  nightfall  we 
reached  a  hillock  with  several  rocks  jutting  out  of 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  103 

it,  which  was  considered  a  remarkably  secure  spot 
for  camping.  It  was  well  fortified  by  nature,  but 
the  cunning  backwoods  men  were  not  content  to 
trust  to  it  in  that  condition,  but  at  once  set  to  work 
to  enable  it  to  resist  any  attack  which  might  possi- 
l)ly  be  made  on  it  during  the  night. 

Our  old  chief,  to  show  his  gratitude  to  his  pre- 
servers, ordered  an  ample  supply  of  provisions  to 
be  served  out,  and  as  soon  as  fires  could  be  lighted 
and  the  food  cooked,  we  all  sat  down  to  our  repast. 
We  at  first  were  too  hungry  to  talk,  but  I  gleaned 
from  one  or  two  remarks  made  by  my  friends  that 
their  family  had  escaped  from  the  Indians,  and 
were  encamped  for  the  winter  at  some  distance  to 
the  eastward.  There  was  plenty  of  dry  underwood 
about,  so  we  had  made  a  blazing  fire,  round  which 
we  were  seated.  We  had  all  lighted  our  pipes,  and 
Obed  was  about  to  begin  his  narrative,  when  an 
Ottoe  Indian  came  and  said  a  few  words  to  John 
Pipestick,  who  was  sitting  with  us. 

"  Our  chief,  Waggum-winnie-beg,  is  anxious  to 
see  you,"  said  he  to  me.  "  He  feels  very  ill,  and 
as  he  believes  you  to  be  a  mighty  medicine  man, 
he  thinks  that  you  can  certainly  cure  him." 

"  I  knew  that  there  was  no  use  in  denying  my 
power,  so  I  at  once  got  up  to  go  and  see  the  old 
man,  accompanied  by  John  as  interpreter.  He 
was  lying  down  on  a  mat,  with,  his  head  resting  on 
a  block  of  wood  which  served  him  as  a  pillow.     He 


104  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

sat  up  as  I  entered,  and  with  unusual  warmth  ex- 
pressed his  pleasure  at  seeing  me.  I  merely  gives 
the  substance  of  what  he  said,  for  he  addressed  a 
long  speech  to  me,  which  he  believed  would  have  a 
powerful  effect  on  my  feelings. 

"  Stranger,"  he  began,  "  you  have  met  with 
friends,  and  undoubtedly  you  contemplate  leaving 
the  tents  of  the  Red  Skins  to  accompany  them 
whither  they  are  going.  Tliink  well  before  you 
leave  us.  Yon  shall  be  to  us  a  son  and  a  brother 
—  we  will  adopt  you.  We  will  clothe  you,  we  will 
paint  you  ;  you  shall  become  like  one  of  us  in  all 
things.  I  told  you  that  I  would  give  you  one  of 
my  daughters.  That  was  when  I  loved  you  a  little. 
Now  I  love  you  much  I  will  give  you  two.  One 
does  not  surpass  the  other.  Both  are  superior  to 
any  of  their  sex  in  my  tribe,  and  I  may  venture  to 
say  in  the  world.  I  told  you  of  Firefly's  accom- 
plishments ;  her  sister  Glowworm  is  equal  to  her. 
You  shall  have  a  large  tent  where  they  can  dwell 
together  in  harmony,  for  among  their  other  perfec- 
tions their  tongues  are  never  addicted  to  wrangle. 
Take  them,  then,  my  friend  ;  be  my  son,  and  be 
happy." 

This  pathetic  appeal  did  not  influence  me  as 
forcibly  as  Waggum-winne-beg  had  hoped  it  might 
do.  I  did  my  best  not  to  hurt  his  feelings,  but  I 
declined  his  ofier.  When  he  heard  my  decision  he 
burst  into  tears. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  105 

"  If  it  must  be  so,"  he  said,  at  last,  commanding 
himself,  "  so  it  must  be." 

Having  thus  delivered  himself,  he,  like  a  well- 
bred  gentleman,  did  not  further  press  the  delicate 
subject.  After  a  further  conversation  on  other 
subjects,  I  begged  that  he  would  excuse  me  as  I 
wished  to  go  back  to  my  white  friends  who  were 
waiting  for  me  round  their  camp  fire,  and,  having 
once  more  carefully  dressed  the  old  man's  wounds, 
I  took  my  departure.  I  made  Obed  and  his  brother 
laugh  heartily  when  I  narrated  to  them  the  flatter- 
ing offer  I  had  received,  and  one  or  two  of  their 
companions,  backwoods  men  of  the  roughest  sort, 
seemed  rather  inclined  to  offer  themselves,  in  my 
stead,  as  candidates  for  the  honor  of  possessing  the 
brown  ladies'  hands. 

"  Now,  Obed,"  said  I,  "  I  should  like  to  hear  all 
about  your  proceedings ;  but  before  you  begin,  I 
must  ask  you  if  you  have  placed  sentries  round 
the  camp,  and  sent  out  scouts  to  discover  if  our 
foes  are  lurking  near  ?  " 

He  had,  I  found,  placed  a  couple  of  sentries,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  camp,  but  had  not  thought  it 
necessary  to  send  out  any  scouts.  I  urged  him  to 
do  so,  and  he  selected  three  of  the  most  intelligent 
of  the  Indians,  and  directed  them  to  feel  their  way 
out  on  every  side  of  the  camp,  and  to  ascertain 
whether  any  enemies  were  lurking  near.  These 
arrangements   being  made  I  once  more  took  my 


106        Dick  Onsloiv  and  the  Red  Skins : 

seat  by  the  camp  fire.  I  have  always  spoken  of 
Obed  as  leader  of  the  party.  So  in  truth  he  was 
—  his  elder  brothers  having  joined  him  after  he 
had  formed  the  expedition,  and  put  themselves 
under  his  orders. 

"  Now,  Obed,  my  dear  fellow,  do  begin  to  tell  me 
liow  it  is  you  came  to  my  rescue  so  exactly  at  the 
nick  of  time,"  said  I,  lighting  my  pipe  over  the  fire 
and  leaning  back  against  a  stone  which  served  in- 
stead of  an  arm-chair.  I  ought  to  have  remarked 
that  a  screen  had  been  put  up,  composed  of  birch 
bark,  to  serve  as  a  shelter  against  tlie  wind,  so  that 
we  were  far  warmer  than  miglit  have  been  expected 
in  that  wintry  night.  Our  encampment  had  a  very 
picturesque  appearance.  The  white  men  were  col- 
lected round  one  fire ;  the  Indians  who  had  come 
with  Obed  had  three  or  four  among  them,  while  the 
tents  of  Waggum-winne-beg  and  his  followers  were 
in  the  centre,  with  a  fire  burning  in  tlie  middle  of 
each  of  them.  Tlie  greater  number  of  the  Indians 
had  thrown  themselves  down  to  rest,  wrapped  up 
in  tlicir  fur  mantles,  under  the  shelter  of  the  rocks 
and  their  birch-bark  screens,  with  small  fires  at 
their  feet,  I  could  see  in  the  distance  the  tall 
figures  of  those  appointed  to  do  duty  as  sentries 
walking  up  and  down  on  their  posts,  while  a  few 
were  still  sitting  up,  bending  over  their  fires,  as 
they  smoked  their  pipes  and  talked  over  tlie  events 
of  the  day. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  107 

"  Well,  Dick,  since  you  wish  it,  I'll  begin,"  said 
Obed.  "  You  remember  the  worthy  Delaware  who 
came  to  our  tent  and  persuaded  me  to  accompany 
him.  He  proved  himself  a  trusty  guide  and  com- 
panion. The  rest  and  food  he  got  with  us  restored 
his  strength,  and  we  set  off  at  good  speed.  We 
were  fortunate  in  killing  several  turkeys  and  prairie 
hens,  so  that  we  were  able  to  husband  our  dried 
pemmican,  at  the  same  time  that  we  fed  sumptu- 
ously. Very  often  I  thought  about  you  when  we 
were  making  good  way,  and  I  wished  that  you 
were  with  us.  We  were  anxious  of  course  to  push 
on  before  the  cold  weather  set  in,  for  we  knew  then 
that  we  should  have  difficulties  enough  to  contend 
with.  We  had  to  be  on  our  guard  also  against 
enemies  of  all  sorts  —  Red  Skins,  Dacotas  and 
Pawnees,  grizzly  bears,  rattlesnakes,  and  wolves ; 
still  my  companion,  from  his  long  experience  of 
their  habits,  was  well  able  to  take  precautions 
against  them.  I,  all  the  time,  was  anxiously  look- 
ing out  for  traces  of  my  family,  but  we  had  from 
the  first  got  out  of  their  track,  and  we  met  no  one 
from  whom  we  could  make  any  inquiries.  We 
always  rose  with  the  sun,  and  travelled  on  all  day 
as  long  as  our  strength  held  out ;  but  from  weari- 
ness, or  from  the  fear  of  not  finding  fit  camping- 
ground,  we  sometimes  had  to  stop  an  hour  or  two 
before  sunset.  We  had  done  so  on  one  occasion 
near  a  stream  whose  steep  banks  sloped  away  down 


108         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

below  us.  While  I  lighted  a  fire,  put  up  a  wigwam, 
and  prepared  food,  work  to  which  the  Delaware 
had  an  especial  dislike,  as  it  is  always  performed 
by  women  among  the  Indians,  he,  taking  his  rifle, 
went  out  along  the  bank  of  the  stream  to  try  and 
kill  a  wild  turkey  or  two  to  supply  the  place  of  one 
I  was  about  to  cook.  He  was  making  his  way  on- 
ward, pushing  aside  the  boughs  with  the  barrel  of 
his  weapon,  when  up  started,  not  five  yards  from 
him,  an  old  gray  she-bear,  accompanied  by  three  or 
four  half-grown  cubs.  He  started  back  to  be  able 
to  make  use  of  his  rifle,  but  before  he  could  bring 
it  to  his  shoulder,  the  old  bear  sprang  upon  him, 
and  with  a  blow  of  her  paw  knocked  his  rifle  out 
of  his  hand.  Had  that  blow  struck  his  back  he 
would  instantly  have  been  killed,  and  I  should  have 
been  left  alone  in  the  desert.  I  saw  my  friend's 
danger  but  could  do  nothing  to  help  him,  for  if  I 
fired  I  was  as  likely  to  injure  him  as  the  bear.  As 
the  brute  was  again  about  to  strike,  he  drew  his 
long  knife,  for  fortunately  his  right  arm  was  free, 
and  began  stabbing  away  at  her  neck.  Notwith- 
standing this,  the  fierce  monster  did  not  relax  her 
gripe,  while  her  claws  went  deeper  and  deeper  into 
his  flesh,  and  the  horrid  cubs,  coming  to  their 
dam's  assistance,  began  to  assail  his  legs.  I  was 
hurrying  on  to  the  assistance  of  my  companion,  re- 
solved to  lose  my  own  life  rather  than  not  do  my 
utmost  to  save  his,  wh3n  the  bank  gave  way,  and 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  lOi* 

bear  and  Indian  both  rolled  away  into  the  stream 
together." 

Obed  liad  got  thus  far  in  his  narrative,  —  I  have 
omitted  some  of  the  particulars  he  told  me,  —  when 
the  sharp  crack  of  a  rifle  made  us  all  start  up,  and, 
seizing  our  weapons,  we  hurried  to  that  part  of  the 
camp  whence  it  proceeded.  Looking  out  into  the 
darkness,  we  could  see  the  figure  of  a  man  running 
at  full  speed  toward  us,  across  the  white  sheet  of 
snow  with  which  we  were  surrounded.  We  had  no 
doubt  it  was  one  of  the  scouts  we  had  sent  out ; 
for  who  else  was  likely  at  that  time  to'be  coming 
to  us  ?  "  If  it  is  not  one  of  our  scouts,  it  may  be 
some  white  trapper  who  has  been  caught  by  the 
Dacotas,  and  has  made  his  escape  from  them," 
observed  John  Pipestick,  who  had  joined  us. 
"  They  frequently  come  thus  far  west,  and  those 
varmints  are  certain  to  have  been  on  the  look-out 
for  them."  While  we  were  waiting  the  arrival  of 
the  stranger,  a  piercing  shriek  broke  the  sihuce 
of  night. 


-  10 


110         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 


CHAPTER   VII. 

The  Dacotaa  are  again  upon  us.  —  We  hurry  to  the  rescue. —  We  pre- 
serve the  life  of  the  stranger.  —  Sam  Short,  the  trapper.  —  f/it 
adventures.  —  Escape  from  the  Red  Skins.  —  Desperate  combat  in 
the  canoe.  —  Sam''s  search  for  his  companions.  —  Discocers  one  in  the 
hands  of  the  Indians.  —  They  discover  Sam,  and  he  fies.  —  Fiiuls 
Blount,  and  together  they  go  in  search  (f  Noggin.  —  Again  get  sight 
of  Noggin,  but  he  is  fastened  to  a  stake.  —  Noggin  shows  that  in 
tpite  of  his  name  he  is  a  hero. 

"  Those  vermin  the  Dacotas  are  upon  us  again, 
and  have  taken  the  scalp  of  one  of  our  scouts," 
cried  Obed,  when  he  heard  that  piercing  shriek. 
My  experience  of  the  previous  night  taught  me  too 
well  also  what  it  meant.  Surrounded  as  we  were 
by  the  rocks  and  thick  shrubs  on  the  top  of  the 
mound,  we  were  probably  not  perceptible  from  the 
ground  below.  Presently,  as  the  stranger  approached 
us,  we  saw  emerging  from  the  darkness  a  dozen  or 
more  figures  following  one  after  the  other  slowly 
and  stealthily,  evidently  fancying  that  they  were 
not  perceived.  We  had  no  doubt  that  they  were 
a  party  of  our  late  opponents  the  Dacotas,  but  what 
was  their  purpose  it  was  difficult  to  say  ;  they  must 
have  known  that  we  had  heard  the  death-shriek  of 
the  murdered  man,  and  they  could  not  but  have 
supposed  that  we  should  be  on  the  watch  for  them. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  Ill 

Perhaps  this  only  precipitated  a  previously  formed 
plan.  The  stranger  approached  us  rapidly,  we 
could  hear  aimed  at  him  more  than  one  shaft  as 
it  flew  hissing  through  the  air.  Several  axes  also 
were  thrown  in  savage  fury,  as  the  Indians  saw 
that  their  hoped-for  victim  was  about  to  escape 
them.  The  stranger  came  rushing  on  ;  he  had  good 
need  of  speed. 

"  Obcd,  my  boy,"  said  I,  "  let  us  sally  out  and 
protect  that  poor  fellow.  If  we  do  not,  the  Red 
Skins  will  be  up  to  him  before  he  reaches  this 
hill  ? " 

Obed  was  not  a  man  it  was  necessary  to  ask  twice 
to  do  a  thing  of  the  sort,  nor  were  his  brothers  or 
their  followers.  The  order  was  sent  rapidly  round 
to  assemble  together ;  not  a  word  was  uttered  above 
a  whisper  —  the  sentries  were  left  standing  at  their 
posts,  as  if  unconscious  of  what  was  going  on  in 
the  plain  below.  But  a  few  seconds  were  expended 
in  preparation. 

"  Now,  my  boys,  down  upon  them  !  "  exclaimed 
Obed,  and  at  the  word  we  sprang  over  our  entrench- 
ments as  quick  as  lightning ;  we  were  up  to  the 
stranger,  who  for  a  moment  was  somewhat  startled 
at  our  sudden  appearance,  but  soon,  comprehend- 
ing the  state  of  aflairs,  took  shelter  behind  us  while 
we  sprang  on  to  meet  the  Indians.  We  halted 
within  ten  yards  of  them,  and  poured  in  a  volley 
from  our  rifles  which  brought  nearly  one-half  of 
them  to  the  ground. 


112  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

The  remainder  hesitated  an  instant,  then  hearing 
our  loud  shouts  and  huzzas,  and  seeing  us  come  on 
with  our  axes  gleaming  in  our  hands,  they  turned 
tail,  and  scampered  off  as  fast  as  they  could  go. 
To  pursue  them  would  have  been  dangerous,  with 
so  large  a  number  of  their  tribe  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  it  was  very  probable  that  they  had  an 
ambush  near  at  hand  ready  to  cut  us  off.  The 
sound  of  our  fire-arms  brought  up  two  of  our 
scouts,  who  joined  us  as  we  were  returning  to  our 
camp,  but  the  third  did  not  make  his  appearance, 
and  we  had  too  much  reason  to  fear  that  he  had 
fallen  a  victim  to  the  Dacotas.  By  the  time  we  got 
back  to  camp,  we  found  Waggum-winne-beg  and 
all  his  people,  both  men  and  women,  turned  out, 
and  ready  to  resist  any  attack  which  might  be 
made  on  us^  We  waited  under  arms  for  some  time, 
and  then  finduig  that  the  enemy  did  not  seem  in- 
clined to  approach,  we  posted  sentries  all  round 
with  directions  to  keep  a  strict  look-out,  and  to 
give  notice  directly  they  perceived  any  suspicious 
movement  below,  and  then  we  once  more  sat  down 
round  our  fire.  Our  number  was  increased  by  the 
stranger,  of  whom  we  had  not,  till  then,  had  time 
to  take  any  notice,  beyond  observing  that  he  was 
a  white  man,  and  that  he  was  dressed  in  the  usual 
rough  costume  of  a  trapper.  We  now  perceived, 
as  he  sat  close  up  to  the  fire  with  the  palms  of  his 
hands  spread  out  before  it,  that  he  looked  famished 
and  weary. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  113 

"  Friend,  thou  art  hungry,"  said  Obed,  placing 
before  him  some  dried  deer's  flesh  and  biscuit,  and 
filling  him  up  a  cup  of  spirits  and  water.  "  Eat 
that  while  we  cook  a  more  savory  mess." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  stranger,  "  you  have  dis- 
covered my  chief  want."  He  showed  that  he  spoke 
the  truth,  by  setting  to  work  silently  and  heartily 
on  the  food  like  a  man  who  had  fasted  long,  and 
was  in  no  way  fastidious  as  to  the  nature  of  his 
provender,  so  that  it  was  fit  to  support  life.  I  have 
often  felt  ashamed  of  my  civilized  and  refined  friends 
as  well  as  of  myself,  when  I  have  watched  the  abste- 
mious habits  of  those  inhabitants  of  the  backwoods. 
However  varied,  or  however  delicate  or  highly  fla 
vored  the  food  placed  before  them,  I  have  seen  them 
over  and  over  again  sit  down  and  help  themselves 
to  the  nearest  dish,  eat  as  much  as  they  required, 
and  generally  a  very  moderate  quantity,  and  then 
perhaps,  after  taking  a  glass  of  cold  water,  get  up 
and  leave  the  table.  We  waited  till  the  stranger 
had  somewhat  recovered  his  strength  before  asking 
him  any  questions.  At  last  he  stopped  eating,  gave 
his  hunting  knife  a  turn  or  two  over  his  legging, 
replaced  it  in  its  sheath,  and  looking  up  said : 

"  Well,  friends,  you've  saved  my  life  ;  I've  to 
thank  you  for  that,  not  that  I  know  that  it  is  worth 
much ;  and  now  I  guess  you'd  like  to  know  where 
I  come  from,  and  what  I've  been  about." 

10* 


11-1         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

We  all  told  him  that  we  should  particularly  like 
to  hear  something  about  him. 

"  Then  I'll  tell  you,"  he  replied.  "  My  name  is 
Sam  Sliort;  I'm  a  free  trapper;  I've  hunted  this 
country,  man  and  boy,  for  pretty  well  fifty  years, 
and  that's  a  good  slice  in  a  man's  life.  It  was  at 
the  end  of  last  fall  that  I  and  two  companions  started 
westward  to  trap  beavers  and  shoot  bears,  or  any 
other  game  which  came  in  our  way.  We'd  left  our 
horses  and  taken  to  a  canoe,  to  paddle  up  the  Kansas 
river.  Both  my  companions,  Tom  Noggin  and  Silas 
Blount,  were  staunch  fellows.  It  doesn't  do  to  have 
a  man  in  our  way  of  life  one  can't  depend  on.  We 
had  passed  several  beaver  dams,  which  we  settled  to 
visit  on  our  return,  and  as  long  as  the  season  would 
allow  to  push  higher  up  the  stream.  There's  no 
pleasanter  life  than  that  we  led.  We  landed  when 
we  felt  inclined  to  stretch  our  legs  and  take  a  shot 
at  a  deer  or  a  bear.  We  killed  more  deer  than  we 
could  eat,  so  we  only  kept  the  tenderest  parts  ;  but 
the  skins  were  of  no  little  value.  One  evening  we 
landed  at  an  open  spot,  with  plenty  of  thick  trees 
though  growing  round,  intending  to  camp  there. 
We  had  lighted  a  small  fire,  and  we  took  care  that 
the  wood  was  dry,  so  that  it  should  send  up  no  smoke 
to  show  our  whereabouts  to  any  lurking  Red  Skins. 
Silas  and  Noggin  took  their  guns,  and  said  they 
would  go  and  have  a  look  for  a  deer,  or  a  bear,  or  a 
turkey,  while  I  sat  over  the  fire  and  cooked  the 


An  Adventure  tn  the  Far  West.  115 

venison.  I  cut  some  right  good  steaks,  and  had 
dressed  them  to  a  turn,  and  was  thinking  that  it 
was  time  my  companions  were  back,  when  I  heard 
Blount's  voice  singing  out  merrily  as  he  came 
through  the  wood  toward  me.  We  had  no  fear  of 
Red  Skins,  for  we  had  met  with  uo  traces  of  them 
as  we  came  up  the  river,  and  the  first  thing  we  had 
done  that  day  on  landing  was  to  look  about  for  them 
in  every  direction.  Blount  sat  himself  down  by  my 
side,  and  showed  me  a  fat  turkey  he  had  just  killed, 
when  we  heard  a  shot  at  some  distance  from  us.  We 
waited  some  time,  thinking  Noggin  would  be  coming 
back ;  but,  as  he  did  not  make  his  appearance,  1 
asked  Blount  to  climb  a  tree  and  see  if  he  could 
make  him  out  any  where.  Curiously  enough,  he 
slung  his  rifle  on  his  back,  he  had  already  his  shot 
belt  and  powder  horn  about  him,  and  up  a  high  tree, 
a  little  way  off,  he  went.  Scarcely  had  he  got  to 
the  top,  when  I  lieard  him  cry  out,  "  Fly,  man,  fly  ; 
the  Red  Skins  are  on  us !  "  I  did  not  want  a  second 
warning.  Seizing  my  rifle,  I  sprang  to  the  river 
side,  and  as  I  did  so,  a  band  of  Indians  burst 
through  the  woods  brandishing  their  tomahawks, 
and  uttering  their  hideous  war  cries.  1  threw 
myself  into  the  canoe,  and  with  a  kick  of  my  foot 
shoved  it  off  from  the  bank  toward  the  middle 
of  the  stream.  I  looked  for  the  paddles :  there 
was  only  one  in  the  canoe ;  I  seized  it,  and  began 
to  paddle  away  down  the  stream  with  all  my  might. 


116  Dick  Onslmr  and  the  Red  Skins: 

The  Indians  followed  me  some  way,  and  seeing 
that  I  had  but  one  paddle,  and  made  but  slow 
progress,  three  of  them,  running  on  ahead,  plunged 
into  the  stream,  for  the  evident  purpose  of  cutting 
me  off.  I  watched  them  as  they  approached. 
If  either  of  them  should  succeed  in  getting  hold 
of  the  canoe,  I  knew  tliat  my  life  would  be 
lost.  Fortunately  they  had  separated  somewhat, 
and  were  some  fathoms  distant  from  eacli  other 
down  the  stream.  I  saw  that  my  only  chance 
was  to  destroy  them  in  detail.  I  dropped  my 
paddle  and  seized  my  rifle.  It  was,  of  course, 
loaded.  I  had  no  time  to  lose,  for  I  had  to  fire  and 
to  load  again  to  be  ready  for  another  enemy.  I 
took  a  steady  aim.  The  savage  leaped  out  of  the 
water,  casting  a  look  at  me  of  the  most  intense 
hatred,  and  then  down  he  went  like  a  shot,  leaving 
a  red  streak  on  the  water  to  mark  the  spot.  1 
loaded  rapidly ;  the  next  fellow  darted  on,  hoping 
to  catch  hold  of  the  canoe  before  I  was  ready  to 
fire  ;  but  I  was  too  quick  for  him.  Wlien  lie  saw 
this,  he  dived,  thinking  to  escape  my  bullet.  I 
was  surprised  at  the  length  of  time  he  kept  under 
water.  I  thought  that  he  would  never  come  up 
again.  I  dared  not  exchange  my  rifle  for  my  pad- 
dle, or  I  would  have  got  over  further  to  the  oppo- 
site bank.  All  my  attention  was  fixed  on  the 
spot  where  I  knew  that  his  head  would  appear. 
The  instant  I  caught  sight  of  his  savage  countenance 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  117 

grinning  up  at  me,  my  bullet  entered  his  brain, 
and  he  sank  like  his  comrade.  I  had  not  time  to 
finish  loading  before  the  third  fellow,  by  desperate 
exertion,  had  got  hold  of  the  bow  of  the  canoe 
with  one  of  his  hands,  wliile  with  the  other  he  at- 
tempted to  seize  my  right  arm,  whicli  was  em- 
ployed in  ramming  down  the  bullet  into  my  rifle. 
He  had  his  knife  in  his  teeth,  and  I  saw  that  the 
moment  he  had  grasped  my  arm,  he  would  seize 
it  with  his  other  hand,  and  plunge  it  into  my  side. 
My  great  fear  was  that  he  would  upset  the  canoe, 
so  that  I  had  to  lean  back  on  the  opposite  side  to 
prevent  him  from  so  doing.  There  is  no  more 
cunning  or  treacherous  a  varmint  than  a  true  bred 
Red  Skin.  When  he  found  that  I  saw  what  he  was 
at,  he  pretended  to  fall  backwards,  and  as  I 
stretched  over  to  unloosen  his  hand  from  the  gun- 
wale of  the  canoe,  he  sprang  up  by  a  sudden  stroke 
of  his  feet,  and  clutched  me  by  the  throat.  So  tight 
did  he  press  my  windpipe,  that  I  felt  I  had  but  a 
slight  chance  of  escaping  with  my  life ;  still,  I  had 
lived  too  long  a  hunter's  life  to  think  of  giving  in 
while  a  hope  of  escape  existed.  I  caught  hold  of 
the  side  of  the  canoe  with  one  hand,  and  with  the 
other,  letting  go  my  rifle,  I  felt  about  for  my  knife, 
which,  with  my  powder  flask  and  other  things  I 
had  thrown  into  the  bottom  of  the  canoe.  If  I 
could  find  it,  I  had  little  fear  that  I  should  know 
how  to  use  it.     The  Indian  guessed  what  I  was 


118  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

about,  and  pressed  my  throat  tighter  and  tighter, 
till  I  felt  myself  growing  black  in  the  face.  He 
saw  his  advantage ;  the  time  was  come,  he  thought, 
to  gain  the  victory.  Letting  go  his  hold  of  the 
canoe,  he  seized  his  knife  with  his  right  hand,  and 
attempted  to  haul  himself  on  board  by  means  of 
my  throat.  His  naked  knee  was  on  the  gunwale, 
when  at  the  same  moment  my  fingers  discovered 
my  knife.  I  clutched  the  handle.  My  enemy's 
knee  slipped  off  the  smooth  wood  —  his  weapon 
missed  its  aim,  scarcely  grazing  my  side,  and  I 
plunged  mine  up  to  the  hilt  in  his  breast.  His 
hand  relaxed  his  hold  of  my  throat,  and  he  dropped 
back  lifeless  into  the  stream, 

"  I  cannot  describe  my  sensations ;  there  was 
no  time  to  think  about  them,  at  all  events.  I  fin- 
ished ramming  down  the  bullet  into  my  rifle,  and 
while  the  rest  of  the  Indians  were  hesitating 
whether  to  follow  me  or  not,  I  pointed  it  at  them, 
to  show  them  what  the  first  who  might  venture  in- 
to the  stream  would  have  to  expect.  They  watched 
me  for  some  time,  uttering  howls  of  the  most  in- 
tense rage  and  hatred  ;  and  then,  seeing  that  I  was 
a  good  match  for  them,  they  turned  back  up  the 
stream  again,  to  wreak  their  vengeance,  as  I  feared, 
on  my  companions.  I  pretended  to  be  paddling 
down  the  stream,  till  I  was  certain  they  were  out 
of  sight,  but  I  was  not  going  to  desert  my  friends 
m  that  way  ;  such  is  not  the  backwoodman's  law. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  119 

Whei  I  knew  that  they  were  well  ahead.  1  ceased 
descending  the  stream,  and,  pulling  to  the  south 
bank,  I  made  fast  my  canoe  to  some  bushes,  and 
waited  till  dark.  I  thought  about  all  that  had  oc- 
curred ;  Blount,  I  hoped,  might  possibly  have  es- 
caped, but  I  greatly  feared  that  Noggin  would  have 
fallen  into  the  power  of  our  enemies.  Waiting  till 
I  could  not  be  seen  from  the  north  shore,  keeping 
on  the  opposite  side,  I  paddled  cautiously  and 
slowly  up  the  stream.  I  kept  as  much  as  possible 
in  the  eddies  and  little  bays,  and  thus  avoided  the 
strength  of  the  current,  against  which  I  could  not 
otherwise  have  pulled.  The  nearer  I  got  to  the 
spot  where  I  had  left  my  companions,  the  more 
cautiously  I  proceeded ;  I  knew  that  if  the  Indians 
had  not  killed  them  at  once,  they  would  not  destroy 
them  for  three  or  four  days,  but  would  keep  them 
alive  to  torture  them,  and  to  exhibit  them  to  their 
old  men  and  squaws  at  home.  It  was  very  neces- 
sary to  be  cautious  how  I  proceeded  ;  the  slightest 
carelessness  would  betray  me  to  the  cunning  var- 
mints, and  I  should  not  only  risk  my  own  life,  but 
be  unable  to  help  my  friends.  At  last,  about  two 
hours  after  dark,  I  got  directly  opposite  the  spot 
where  we  had  encamped  ;  I  watched,  but  could  see 
no  light  to  indicate  that  the  Red  Skins  were  there ; 
I  pulled  up  a  little  further,  and  then  in  perfect  si- 
lence paddled  across.  Unless  the  Red  Skins  had 
been  on  the  look  out  for  me,  I  did  not  think  that 


120         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

there  was  mucli  chance  of  my  being  seen.  1 
did  not  venture  to  let  the  bow  of  the  canoe 
touch  the  bank,  lest  even  the  slight  noise  I 
might  make  against  the  grass  should  be  heard, 
but  allowed  it  to  drop  slowly  down  with  the  cur- 
rent, while  I  peered  eagerly  into  every  opening  of 
the  forest  wbich  presented  itself.  I  began  to  fear 
that  the  Indians  had  gone  away,  and  carried  off 
Blount  and  Noggin  with  them,  when  my  eye  caught 
a  glimmer  of  light  a  considerable  distance  off  among 
the  bushes.  I  had  little  doubt  that  the  light  pro- 
ceeded from  the  camp-fire  of  my  enemies :  I  re- 
solved to  ascertain  whether  this  was  so,  and  whether 
my  friends  were  in  their  power.  I  carefully  pushed 
my  canoe  alongside  the  bank,  and  securing  her  to 
a  bush,  stepped  out  with  my  hunting  knife  in  my 
belt,  and  my  rifle  in  my  hand.  I  know  as  well  as 
a  native-born  Indian  how  to  move  silently  through 
the  woods,  not  allowing  my  feet  to  tread  on  a  dry 
stick,  or  my  shoulders  to  touch  a  rotten  branch. 
Step  by  step,  feeling  my  way  with  the  greatest  care, 
I  approached  the  spot  where  I  had  seen  the  fire ; 
at  last  I  got  close  to  the  boundary  of  an  open 
glade,  and  by  looking  through  the  bushes,  I  saw  a*" 
the  further  end  of  it  some  dozen  or  more  Indians 
decked  in  their  war-paint  and  feathers,  squatted 
round  a  fire.  One  was,  I  saw,  speaking,  while  the 
others  were  listening  to  him  with  the  deepest  at- 
tention.    I  looked  around,  but  could  distinguish 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  121 

nothing  beyond  the  immediate  circle  of  the  fire. 
At  length  the  orator  ceased,  and  one  of  the  band 
threw  a  small  quantity  of  fresh  fuel  on  to  the  fire. 
Tliis  made  it  blaze  up  ;  and  the  glare  from  the 
bright  flames  extending  to  some  distance,  it  fell 
upon  the  stump  of  a  tree  to  which  was  bound  a 
liuman  figure.  I  watched  to  try  and  make  out 
who  it  was,  for  the  light  was  not  at  first  sufficient 
to  enable  me  to  distinguish  objects  at  a  distance. 
I  had  long  to  wait.  I  should  have  to  guide  my 
movements  according  to  which  of  my  friends  was 
in  captivity.  If  it  should  prove  to  be  Noggin,  I 
might  hope  that  Blount  had  escaped  their  vigilance  ; 
but  if  he  himself  was  the  prisoner,  I  should  have 
to  fear  that  Noggin  had  already  fallen  a  victim  to 
their  ferocity.  I  had  long  to  wait.  One  warrior 
after  another  got  up,  and  made  a  vociferous  speech, 
till  at  last  one  of  them  threw  a  large  handful  of 
sticks  into  the  fire.  At  the  same  moment  it  was 
fanned  by  a  fresh  blast  of  wind  which  rustled 
through  the  forest,  and  flames  darting  upwards  for 
a  few  moments,  by  their  light  I  recognized  the 
features  of  Noggin.  His  eyes  were  fixed  on  tlio 
group  of  warriors,  as  if  he  was  trying  to  make  out 
what  they  were  saying.  There  was  an  expression 
of  horror  and  despair  on  his  countenance,  for  lie 
knew  full  well  that  a  death  of  torture  was  prepared 
for  him.  I  observed,  however,  that  his  lips  were 
firmly  pressed  together,  as  if  he  had  made  up  his 
11 


122  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

mind  not  to  flinch,  however  much  he  might  be 
called  to  suffer,  while  life  might  last.  I  looked 
round  for  Blount ;  he  was  nowhere  to  be  seen  ; 
and  as  I  could  not  discern  any  bloody  scalp  hung 
up  on  a  pole  as  a  trophy  of  their  prowess,  I 
began  to  hope  that  he  might  have  escaped  the 
vigilance  of  our  enemies,  and  that  I  might  still  fall 
in  with  him.  My  great  desire  was,  in  the  first 
place,  to  rescue  Noggin  ;  but  how  to  do  so  was  the 
question.  Succor  might  almost  seem  hopeless. 
Even  should  Blount  be  alive  and  at  large,  he  and  I 
togetlier  could  scarcely  hope  to  succeed.  I  counted 
our  enemies  ;  there  were  twenty  altogether.  Three 
of  these,  from  their  costume  and  the  way  they 
talked,  I  judged  to  be  chiefs  or  principal  men. 
Three  more,  one  of  wliom  certainly  was  a  chief,  I 
had  sent  to  their  long  home.  As  I  could  do  no 
more  good  by  staying  in  so  dangerous  a  neighbor- 
hood, I  waited  till  another  long  speech  was  begun, 
and  then  crept  back  as  carefully  as  I  had  approached 
toward  my  canoe.  I  reached  her  in  safety,  and 
pushing  off,  I  crossed  to  the  opposite  side  of  the 
stream.  I  hunted  about  till  I  discovered  a  point 
with  bushes  growing  thickly  on  it.  Here  I  landed ; 
and  hauling  up  my  canoe,  hoped  that  I  might  re- 
main concealed,  should  the  Red  Skins  again  come 
down  to  the  side  of  the  river  to  look  for  me.  After 
I  had  done  this,  so  fatigued  was  I,  that,  no  sooner 
did  I  lay  down  by  the  side  of  my  canoe,  than  I  foil 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West,  123 

fast  asleep.  It  was  daylight  when  I  awoke.  I  sprung 
to  my  feet,  rifle  in  hand,  and  peered  through  the 
bushes  which  effectually  concealed  me.  I  could 
distinguish  in  the  distance  the  Indians,  who  had 
likewise  just  risen,  and  appeared  to  be  in  a  state  of 
no  little  excitement.  Tliey  had  discovered  my  trail, 
and  were  hunting  about  to  ascertain  in  which 
direction  I  had  gone.  '  Ah,  ah ! '  I  thought,  '  I 
have  crossed  an  element  which  allows  no  trail  to 
be  left  on  it.  They  will  scarcely  believe  that  I  am 
still  so  near  them ;  or  should  they  even  suspect  it, 
they  will  not  attempt  to  follow  me,  for  they  know 
the  effects  of  my  rifle,  and  tliat  if  they  do,  three  or 
four  of  their  number  will  probably  have  to  pay  the 
penalty  of  their  lives.' 

"  On  Noggin's  account  I  did  not  want  to  exaspe- 
rate them  more  than  they  were  already,  or  I  might 
have  picked  two  or  three  of  them  off,  when,  having 
discovered  my  trail,  they  followed  it  to  the  banks 
of  the  river.  I  saw  them  peering  about  in  every 
direction,  now  down  the  stream,  now  up  it ;  but, 
clever  as  they  were,  they  could  not  guess  what  way 
t  had  gone.  They  examined  the  bushes  all  round, 
out  they  told  no  tale  which  they  could  read.  They 
were  evidently  not  a  little  astonished  at  my  audacity 
in  having  ventured  so  close  to  them  as  to  watch 
their  movements.  It  made  them  look  upon  me  as  a 
mighty  Brave,  and  they  would,  I  doubted  not,  have 
tried  their  most  exquisite  tortures  on  me  to  prove 


l24  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Pied  Skins : 

my  heroism  had  they  been  able  to  catch  me.  I  kne\» 
that  there  was  a  possibility  of  their  so  doing,  for  I 
was  resolved  not  to  leave  my  friends  to  their  fate 
without  trying  to  rescue  them,  great  as  I  knew  the 
risk  was  that  I  was  running.  When  they  could  not, 
with  all  their  ingenuity,  discover  what  had  become 
of  me,  they  stamped  on  the  ground,  and  dashed 
their  hatchets  into  it,  and  gnashed  their  teeth,  and 
performed  many  other  frantic  gestures.  I  was 
pleased  at  this,  because  it  showed  that  they  had 
abandoned  their  search  after  me.  Once  more  they 
came  to  the  edge  of  the  water,  and  spit  and  grinned 
at  it,  to  show  their  rage  at  its  having  disappointed 
them  of  their  prey,  and  then  they  turned  tail  and 
went  oif  back  to  their  camp.  I  feared  poor  Noggin 
would  be  the  sufferer,  but  I  could  not  help  that.  I 
waited  hidden  away  for  three  or  four  hours,  till  I 
thought  tliat  they  would  to  a  certainty  have  taken 
their  departure,  before  I  even  stirred  from  my  place 
of  concealment.  I  knew  the  tricks  they  were  up  to, 
and  that  very  likely  they  would  have  remained  in 
ambush  in  the  hope  of  my  coming  back  to  look  after 
my  friends.  If  they  had  killed  Blount,  then  I  felt 
sure  they  would  not  have  stopped  ;  but  if  they  had 
found  out  that  there  were  three  of  us,  and  he  was 
still  at  large,  then  I  considered  it  probable  that  they 
would  be  endeavoring  to  catch  us,  and  that  the  very 
greatest  caution  would  be  necessary  in  my  proceed- 
ings.  Still  I  could  not  delay  till  night  to  commence 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  125 

ray  progress,  which  would  have  been  the  safest  plan ; 
for  in  the  first  place  the  Indians,  if  they  had  moved, 
would  have  got  too  much  the  start  of  me,  and  I  was 
already  so  hungry  that  I  was  ready  to  run  any  risk 
to  procure  food  to  appease  my  appetite.  At  last  I 
could  wait  no  longer.  I  slipped  into  my  canoe,  and 
emerging  from  my  hiding-place,  went  across  the 
stream  as  fast  as  my  one  paddle  could  urge  me. 
When  I  was  about  half  way  over,  I  saw  something 
moving  among  the  bushes.  I  stopped  paddling  and 
seized  my  rifle.  It  might  be  an  Indian,  or  it  might 
be  a  bear,  or  a  stag.  I  was  ready  for  any  thing. 
Just  as  I  brought  my  rifle  to  my  shoulder,  I  lieard 
a  voice  sing  out,  "  Hillo,  Short !  don't  fire,  old  fel- 
ler." I  knew  at  once  that  it  was  Blount  who  spoke, 
and  right  glad  I  was  to  hear  him.  Down  went  my 
rifle,  and  I  paddled  away,  you  may  be  sure,  as  hard 
as  I  could  till  I  reached  the  shore  where  he  as  big 
as  life  stood  ready  to  receive  me.  We  shook  hands 
warmly,  and  then  he  told  me  that  he  had  been  up 
the  tree  all  the  time  ;  that  he  had  watched  the 
Indians  pursuing  me  along  the  banks  of  the  river, 
but  could  not  tell  whetlier  or  not  they  had  killed  me, 
though  he  saw  them  return  with  diminished  num- 
bers, and  guessed  that  at  all  events  I  had  not  died 
without  a  desperate  fight.  When  they  came  back 
they  hunted  about  all  round  our  camp,  carried  off 
or  destroyed  all  our  property,  and  at  last  retired 
further  into  the  woods  to  join  their  comrades.  AH 
u* 


126         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

the  night  he  had  spent  in  a  state  of  uncertainty 
about  mc,  and  it  was  not  till  the  following  morning, 
when  he  saw  the  Indians  come  down  to  the  river, 
and  watched  their  movements,  that  he  guessed  I  was 
alive  and  had  paid  them  a  visit.  He  saw  them  go 
way,  and  he  then  descended  the  tree,  and  like  a 
cat  in  pursuit  of  a  bird,  crept  after  them.  To  his 
great  satisfaction,  he  saw  them  breaking  up  their 
camp,  and  then  they  moved  off  toward  the  north- 
west. Still  he  followed  them  till  he  .had  assured 
himself  that  they  really  were  going  in  that  direction. 
When  he  had  done  this,  he  turned  back  and  looked 
for  me.  We  agreed  at  once  that  we  would  set  off 
and  try  to  rescue  Noggin,  as  soon  as  we  had  killed 
a  sufficient  quantity  of  game  to  satisfy  our  hunger. 
We  calculated  that  the  Red  Skins  were  quite  far 
enough  off  by  this  time  not  to  hear  the  report  of 
our  rifles.  Hunger,  when  not  too  long  endured, 
sharpens  men's  wits.  We  soon  killed  a  couple  of 
wild  turkeys  and  a  deer,  which  we  fell  in  with  in 
great  numbers  on  our  way  south.  We  hid  away 
our  canoe  in  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  so  covered 
her  with  branches  that  even  an  Indian's  sharp  eyes 
were  not  likely  to  discover  her.  Having  lighted  a 
fire,  we  smoked  in  a  hurried  way  as  much  food  as 
would  last  us  for  several  days,  and  then  taking  a 
good  meal  off  toasted  venison,  we  set  off  on  our 
perilous  adventure. 

"  We  soon  found  our  way  up  to  t)ie  Indian  camp, 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  127 

and  we  observed  that  they  took  no  pains  to  hide 
their  trail,  by  which  we  judged  ibat  they  did  not 
suppose  any  of  their  enemies  to  be  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. There  were  no  women  or  children,  which 
showed  that  they  had  been  on  a  hunting  or  war  expe- 
dition, and  also  that  their  chief  camp  was  at  no 
great  distance.  This  gave  us  the  greatest  concern, 
because  if  once  they  reached  it  we  could  scarcely 
hope  to  rescue  Noggin  from  their  power.  We  cal- 
culated that  there  were  twenty  warriors  altogether. 
They  were  on  foot.  They  were  dragging  Noggin 
on,  but  he  evidently  delayed  them  as  much  as  possi- 
ble. Perhaps,  poor  fellow,  he  suspected  that  Blount 
and  I  were  following  him.  We  travelled  faster  than 
they  did,  and  toward  the  evening  of  the  fifth  day  of 
our  journey  we  saw,  from  the  freshness  of  the  trail, 
that  we  were  not  far  from  them.  We  examined  our 
rifles  to  be  ready  for  an  emergency  ;  but  we  knew 
that  we  could  do  nothing  to  help  our  friend  before 
night.  We  supposed  that  we  were  about  half  a  mile 
or  so  from  our  enemies,  and  not  deeming  it  wiser 
to  get  much  nearer,  we  continued  to  follow  at  the 
same  pace  at  which  they  were  going.  At  last  we 
came  to  more  open  ground,  and  several  times  we 
caught  sight  of  them.  We  were  near  enough  in- 
deed to  count  their  numbers,  and  we  found  that  we 
had  made  an  exact  estimate  of  them.  Evening  at 
last  came,  and  we  knew  that  they  were  encamped. 
It  was  now  therefore  necessary  to  be  more  careful 


128  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

than  ever,  for  some  of  the  warriors  might  be  prowl- 
ing about,  and  should  they  discover  us,  even  though 
we  might  escape  them  or  come  off  victorious,  wo 
should  have  to  abandon  all  hopes  of  saving  Noggin. 
We  accordingly  lay  down  in  some  thick  cover  where 
no  one  was  likely  to  find  us,  and  waited  till  they 
were  likely  to  have  gone  to  sleep  for  the  night.  We 
talked  over  all  sorts  of  plans.  Blount  proposed 
going  boldly  into  the  camp  himself  dressed  as  a 
medicine  man  ;  but  then  the  diflficulty  was  to  find 
the  wherewithal  to  fit  himself  out.  I,  too,  opposed 
the  scheme  ;  for  they  would  naturally  be  suspicious, 
and  come  from  whatever  quarter  he  might  they 
would  be  apt  to  question  him  very  narrowly  before 
letting  him  range  their  camp  at  liberty. 

" '  Well,  Short,  it's  all  very  well  for  you  to  say  this 
plan  won't  do,  or  that  won't  do,  but  do  you  just  tell 
me  what  will  do.' 

"  This  was  a  poser  ;  I  could  not.  We  had  our 
deerskin  coats.  They  had  been  saved  in  the  canoe. 
He  proposed  cutting  his  into  strips,  and  with  the 
aid  of  a  red  pocket  handkerchief  he  judged  that  he 
could  turn  himself  into  a  very  good  white  medicine 
man.  I  at  last  consented  to  let  him  try  the  scheme 
provided  that  no  opportunity  occurred  during  the 
night  of  helping  poor  Noggin.  When  the  plan  was 
arranged,  we  crept  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  savages. 
They  had  camped  in  an  open  part  of  a  green  valley, 
the  sides  of  which  were  clothed  with  trees.    Thejp 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  129 

were  far  enough  from  any  trees  not  to  be  taken  by 
surprise  from  any  enemies  except  those  armed  with 
rifles.  We  climbed  one  of  the  trees,  wiience  we 
could  look  down  on  them  and  watch  their  proceed- 
ings. We  might  indeed  have  picked  several  of  them 
off  had  range  alone  been  our  object ;  but  that  would 
iiave  done  no  good  to  poorJSFoggin,  unless  he  could 
have  managed  to  escape  in  the  confusion.  Hour 
after  hour  passed  away.  The  savages  sat  up  talking 
over  their  fire.  Several  of  them  at  last  lay  down, 
but  a  party  went  out  to  examine  the  neighborhood 
of  the  camp,  and  when  they  returned  four  of  those 
who  had  previously  gone  to  sleep  got  up  and  sat 
watching  their  prisoner  evidently  with  malignant 
pleasure.  This  vigilance  of  the  enemy  made  us 
almost  despair  of  being  able  to  deliver  our  friend. 
Wherever  we  turned  our  eyes  in  the  direction  of 
the  camp  there  were  the  four  wretches  gazing  up  into 
the  countenance  of  their  victim,  and  he,  poor  fellow, 
already  looked  more  dead  than  alive.  Thus  we  lay 
stretched  out  at  our  length  watching  them  hour 
after  hour.  No  one  moved.  Our  hearts  sank 
within  us.  After  about  four  hours  the  guards  gave 
some  loud  grunts,  and  some  of  their  companions 
starting  up  took  their  places.  They  seemed  to 
A'atch  the  countenance  of  their  victim  with  intense 
gratification.  If  in  spite  of  the  bodily  pain  and 
mental  suffering  he  was  enduring  he  dropt  asleep, 
one  of  them  would  throw  a  burning  brand  at  him 


130  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

to  rouse  him  up  again  to  a  full  cousciousness  of  his 
position.  It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  1 
could  refrain  from  knocking  over  one  of  the  scoun- 
drels, when  I  saw  him  treating  the  poor  fellow  in 
that  way.  Daylight  was  now  approaching ;  witli 
heavy  hearts  we  had  to  withdraw  for  fear  of  being 
discovered  when  the  Indians  should  break  up  their 
camp  in  the  morning.  We  feared,  too,  that  we 
should  not  have  another  opportunity,  for  we  judged 
that  the  Indians  were  close  upon  their  village  from 
the  way  in  which  they  had  feasted,  leaving  scarcely 
any  food  for  the  next  day.  A  hunter  is  obliged 
to  observe  every  thing,  and  to  make  what  he 
observes  speak  a  plain  language  to  him.  We 
crept  away  from  the  camp  to  our  former  hiding- 
place,  and  then,  overcome  with  fatigue,  we  both  fell 
asleep.  We  were  protected  during  those  hours  of 
helplessness  by  a  power  greater  than  man's. 

"  When  we  awoke  the  sun  was  already  high  in 
the  heavens ;  we  ate  our  frugal  meal,  and  then  set 
forward  to  overtake  the  Indians.  They  had  started 
early  and  had  got  much  ahead  of  us.  We  pushed 
on,  but  still  did  not  overtake  them.  We  had  been 
travelling  some  eight  or  nine  hours,  when,  being 
on  the  top  of  some  rising  ground,  we  saw  in  the 
distance  several  curling  wreaths  of  smoke  rising  up 
amid  the  forest.  We  guessed  that  without  doubt 
they  proceeded  from  the  village  of  our  enemies. 
Our  chief  chance   of  rescuing  Noggin  was  gone. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  131 

To  get  him  out  from  among  a  village  full  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  all  thirsting  for  his  blood, 
was  next  to  impossible.  Still  Blount  said  he  would 
try  it.  We  crept  carefully  on  in  the  track  of  the 
Red  Skins,  stopping  at  every  spot  from  which  we 
could  have  a  clear  look  ahead,  and  occasionally 
climbing  trees  whence  we  might  hope  to  get  a  siglit 
of  the  village.  This  was  in  one  respect  a  danger- 
ous proceeding,  for  should  the  Indians  cross  our 
trail,  they  would  very  likely  discover  us,  although 
we  took  care  to  obliterate,  as  far  as  we  were  able, 
all  marks  of  our  progress.  In  this  way  we  went 
on  till  Blount  and  I  having  got  to  the  top  of  a 
thick-branched  and  wide-spreading  fir,  we  saw, 
scarcely  the  eighth  of  a  mile  off,  the  conical-shaped 
wigwams  of  our  enemies..  Loud  shouts  and  shrieks 
reached  our  ears;  the  old  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren had  gone  out  to  welcome  their  warriors  and 
their  unfortunate  captive.  We  could  see  him  in 
the  middle  of  tliem,  and  the  women  and  children 
rushing  up  and  hissing  at  him,  and  abusing  him, 
and  pinching  him,  and  spitting  at  him,  treating 
him  indeed  with  every  indignity.  He  stood  quiet 
as  far  as  we  could  see  without  flinching.  At  last 
he  was  led  on  and  secured  to  a  tree,  close  to  one 
of  the  principal  lodges.  There  the  savages  let  him 
remain  while  they  retired  to  their  homes,  and  the 
women  set  to  work  to  prepare  them  a  feast.  We 
now  judged  it  time  to  get  further  off  to  take  some 


132  Dick  0ml ow  and  the  Rid  Skins: 

rest,  which  we  so  much  needed.  We  knew  that 
the  savages  were  riot  likely  to  put  hini  to  death 
that  night,  probably  not  till  the  following  evening. 
We  chewed  some  dried  venison,  and  then  fell 
asleep.  It  was  pitchy  dark  when  we  awoke,  but 
the  noise  from  among  the  Indian  lodges  was  louder 
than  ever.  Once  more  we  approached  the  spot, 
fires  were  blazing  brightly  in  the  centre  of  the 
village,  and  the  savages  were  dancing  madly  round 
them,  leaping,  and  shrieking,  and  howling,  in  the 
most  terrific  manner.  A  stake  had  been  run  into 
the  ground,  and  poor  Noggin,  stripped  to  the  waist, 
was  tied  to  it.  His  face  was  turned  toward  us, 
despair  sat  upon  it,  it  was  already  as  pale  as  death, 
indeed  he  did  not  look  as  if  he  had  many  minutes 
to  live.  The  cruel  savages  thought  so  likewise, 
and  afraid  of  losing  their  victim,  they  had  resolved 
at  once,  it  appeared,  to  commence  that  series  of 
tortures  which  would  terminate  with  his  death. 
With  horrid  cries  the  women  approached  him,  and 
ran  into  his  flesh  the  burning  ends  of  sticks,  which 
they  flourished  in  their  hands,  and  they  hallooed 
and  shouted  in  his  ears,  to  rouse  him  up  to  feel  the 
more  acutely  his  sufferings.  Talk  of  the  noble 
qualities  of  savages,  I've  seen  a  good  deal  of  human 
nature,  and  to  my  mind,  left  to  itself,  without  any 
thing  to  improve  or  correct  it,  there  is  nothing  too 
bad  or  abominably  cruel  which  it  will  not  do." 
"  There,  I  have  told  you  enough  ot  the  old  fel- 


An  Adventvre  in  the  Far  West.  133 

ft)w's  story  for  the  present,"  exclaimed  Dick  Onslow, 
throwing  himself  back  in  his  chair  and  stretching 
ont  his  legs.  "  I  know  that  I  am  very  thankful 
that  I  had  not  to  share  poor  Noggin's  fate." 

"  You  are  a  pretty  fellow  for  a  story-teller,"  cried 
one  of  his  hearers  (I  believe  it  was  I,  his  humble 
amanuensis,  Barriugton  Beaver).  "  You  leave  the 
honest  Delaware  in  the  clutches  of  the  bear  ;  you 
leave  yourself  surrounded  by  a  band  of  fierce  Da- 
cotas  thirsting  for  your  blood  ;  and  poor  Noggiii 
even  in  a  worse  predicament ;  indeed,  I  would  not 
wish  to  be  in  the  skins  of  either  Short  or  Blount ; 
and  now  you  suddenly  stop  short,  and  leave  us  all 
lost  in  a  labyrinth  of  doubt  as  to  how  they  got  out 
of  their  various  dilemmas." 

"  Not  a  word  more  just  now,  not  a  word  more," 
answered  Dick,  laugliing.  "  You'll  all  do  your 
bee*  to  keep  me  alive,  and  I  promise  you  I  will  go 
on   vith  my  tale  another  day." 


134         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  S/eins  : 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

ObiiTt  story  continued.  —  Noggin  rescued  by  the  chief^s  daughter.  —  Bam 
and  Blount  retire,  hoping  that  he  may  be  happy. —  They  continue  their 
wanderings.  —  BlounVs  death.  —  Sam  proceeds  alone.  —  Captured  by 
the  Red  Skins.  —  Tliey  prepare  to  kill  him.  —  Not  liking  it,  he  endea- 
vors to  escape  from  it.  —  Escape  and  pursuit.  —  A  ride  for  life.  — 
Hard  pressed  for  food.  —  Obed's  adventures.  —  How  he  escaped  from 
the  bear.  —  The  faithful  Delaware. 

"  So  you  all  want  to  know  what  became  of  poor 
Noggin,"  said  Dick,  leaning  back  in  his  comfortable 
arm-chair,  after  he  had  taken  a  sip  from  his  claret 
glass,  and  stretching  out  his  legs  on  the  thick  buf- 
falo skin  which  served  as  a  rug  to  his  cosy  dining- 
room  fireplace.  "  I'll  continue  the  narrative  as  old 
Short  told  it  to  me,  though  not  exactly  in  his  own 
words,  for  those  I  cannot  pretend  to  repeat,  I  cannot 
even  hope  to  imitate  his  quaint  expressions  and 
racy  humor.  Noggin  stood  the  attacks  of  his  tor- 
mentors with  as  much  heroism  as  could  the  most 
stoical  of  Red  warriors.  We  longed  to  rush  in  to 
his  rescue,  but  we  knew  full  well  that  the  attempt 
would  be  worse  than  useless,  and  we  should  inevit- 
ably lose  our  own  lives  and  not  save  his.  The  fires 
burnt  up  brightly,  shedding  a  lurid  glare  over  the 
whole  scene,  making  the  red-painted  and  feather- 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  135 

bedizzened  warriors,  and  their  hideous  brown 
squaws,' look  more  horrible  and  terrific  than  ever, 
as  they  danced,  and  leaped,  and  grinned,  and 
shrieked  round  our  friend.  To  make  the  picture 
perfect,  you  must  remember  the  dark  forest  in  the 
background,  the  tents  covered  witli  red  tanned 
skins,  and  the  groups  of  children  and  dogs  scuttling 
about  in  front  of  them,  with  the  stakes,  and  the 
lean-to's,  and  sheds  of  different  sorts,  on  or  in 
which  the  spoils  of  the  chase  and  other  provisions 
were  hung  to  dry  or  smoke.  Indians  delight  in 
prolonging  the  sufferings  of  their  captives;  so  they, 
in  their  refined  cruelty,  took  care  not  to  wound  the 
poor  fellow  in  any  vital  part.  After  a  short  time 
the  old  squaws  resharpened  the  points  of  their  fire- 
sticks,  and  then  they  all  advanced  together,  the 
warriors  brandishing  their  tom-ahawks  and  shrieking 
louder  than  ever.  Noggin  eyed  tlieni  all,  however, 
with  perfect  coolness  and  disdain.  I  thought  that 
his  last  moments  had  come.  This  conduct,  though 
the  savages  admired  it,  only  made  them  the  more 
anxious  to  conquer  his  spirit.  Several  produced 
their  instruments  of  torture  to  tear  his  flesh,  and  to 
pull  out  his  eyes  and  his  tongue,  indeed  I  will  not 
describe  all  the  excruciating  cruelties  they  were 
prepared  to  inflict ;  I  wellnigh  gave  way  myself 
with  horror,  though  my  nerves  are  pretty  well 
strung,  when  a  young  squaw,  who  had  been  sitting 
in  the  shadow  of  one  of  the  tents,  sprung  up,  and 


136  Dick  Onslovj  and  the  Red  Skins :  * 

darting  between  the  warriors  and  old  women,  before 
any  of  them  could  stop  her,  threw  one  of  her  arms 
round  Noggin's  neck,  and  holding  out  her  other 
hand,  in  a  tone  of  authority,  ordered  her  savage 
countrymen  and  women  to  keep  back,  and  claimed 
him  as  her  husband.  She  was  a  fine  tall  young 
woman,  and  though  her  skin  was  dark,  lier  features 
were  handsome  and  full  of  animation,  while  her  eye 
sparkled  with  the  spirit  which  burned  in  her  bosom. 
'  Come,  loose  him,  loose  him ! '  she  cried,  and  we 
could  understand  her  language.  '  He  is  mine.  Let 
none  of  you  dare  to  hurt  a  hair  of  his  head.'  I  had 
heard  of  such  things  having  been  done  before,  but  I 
did  not  much  believe  in  them.  It  convinced  me 
that  woman  has  a  tender,  compassionate,  loving 
heart  in  every  country,  and  that  man  should  prize 
it  as  one  of  the  richest  gifts  which  bounteous  Nature 
has  bestowed  on  him,  and  consider  it  one  of  the 
most  cowardly  of  acts  and  the  foulest  of  crimes  to 
tamper  with  or  betray  it.  The  young  girl  was  a 
chief's  daughter.  Her  people,  as  they  were  bound 
to  do,  obeyed  her  immediately.  Noggin  was  re- 
leased, and  led  by  her  to  her  tent.  Instead  of  the 
torments  he  had  been  suffering,  he  found  himself 
tended  with  the  gentlest  care  which  affection  could 
dictate.  Blount  and  I  seeing  this,  made  signs  to 
each  other  that  it  was  time  for  us  to  be  off.  In  the 
morning  the  Red  Skins  would  be  prowling  about, 
and  they  would  be  too  glad  to  get  us  instead  of  the 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  137 

victim  who  had  escaped  them.  We  were  not  likely 
to  find  another  Pocahontas  to  save  onr  lives.  "We 
went  back  the  way  we  had  come,  obliterating  as 
best  we  conld  all  traces  of  our  advance,  and  at  last, 
after  many  hardships,  we  reached  our  canoe.  We 
had  our  rifles,  but  our  ammunition  was  growing 
short,  and  we  had  no  means  of  replenishing  it ;  tlie 
winter  also  was  coming  on,  and  we  were  far  from 
any  white  settlement.  Still,  hunters  are  not  to  be 
frightened  by  trifles  ;  we  knew  well  not  only  how  to 
trap  beavers,  but  any  thing  that  flies,  creeps,  or 
swims,  and  we  agreed  that  we  would  lay  up  a  stor."^ 
of  provisions,  and  spend  the  winter  by  the  side  of 
the  river.  To  think  with  a  hunter  is  to  act.  Our 
great  want  was  salt.  We  cauglit  soon  a  supply  of 
fish,  fowl,  and  deer,  and  we  killed  a  bear,  which 
made  very  good  beef;  but  all  these  things  we  had 
to  dry  in  the  sun  or  to  smoke  ;  we  kept  our  ammu- 
nition in  case  of  any  extremity  in  which  we  might 
find  ourselves.  We  should  have  liked  to  have  com- 
municated with  Noggin,  but  we  knew  that  he,  like 
many  white  men  who  had  married  Indian  women, 
would  be  reconciled  to  his  lot,  and  from  thenceforth 
live  the  life  of  Indians.  We  agreed,  tlierefore,  as 
soon  as  the  return  of  spring  enabled  us  to  travel, 
we  would  take  up  our  beaver  skins  and  furs  left  in 
cache,  and  go  back  with  them  to  the  settlements. 
Had  we  been  supplied  with  powder,  we  should  not 
have  hesitated  at  once  to  commence  our  journey, 

12* 


138  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

but  unarmed  as  we  soon  should  be,  we  should  have 
been  both  unable  to  supply  ourselves  with  food,  or 
to  defend  ourselves  against  any  enemies  we  might 
meet ;  whereas  in  the  spring  we  should  descend 
rapidly  in  our  canoe,  and  carry  our  provisions 
with  us. 

"  Several  weeks  passed  away.  We  had  a  warm 
hut  built,  and  a  good  supply  of  provisions  and  fuel 
collected.  It  was  intensely  cold,  the  river  was 
frozen  across,  and  the  snow  had  set  in.  My  great 
concern  was  for  my  companion.  Illness  had  at- 
tacked him ;  he  grew  weaker  and  weaker  every 
day.  With  a  sorrowful  heart  I  saw  that  he  had  not 
long  to  live.  I  told  him  so  at  last.  Ho  would  not 
believe  me.  He  said  that  he  should  get  better, 
that  the  cough  would  leave  him,  and  that  ho  was 
stronger  than  he  bad  been.  He  almost  persuaded 
me  tbat  I  was  wrong  in  my  surmises,  and  that  he 
should  recover.  When  the  cold  grew  very  great, 
he  took  to  his  bed,  upon  which,  according  to  my 
idea,  I  thought  he  would  never  rise.  At  last,  one 
day,  however,  he  sat  up  and  said,  he  should  like  to 
go  out,  and  see  if  he  could  not  kill  a  wild  turkey ; 
he  should  like  to  have  some  fresh  meat.  I  told 
hira  I  would  get  it  for  him  :  he  said  no,  half  the 
pleasure  would  be  in  killing  it  himself;  he  felt  as 
strong  as  a  buffalo,  and  knew  he  could  walk  a 
dozen  miles.  So  he  got  up,  and  put  on  his  thick 
coat,  and  took  down  his  rifle  from  the  peg  to  which 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  139 

it  hung,  and  said  he  was  ready.  I  looked  at  him 
with  wonder.  His  cheeks  were  so  wan,  and  his 
hands  so  thin,  I  did  not  think  he  could  have  held 
his  rifle.  '  If  you  will  go,  I  will  go  with  you, 
Blount,'  said  I,  and  took  down  my  rifle  to  follow 
him. 

"  I  had  just  got  to  the  door  of  our  hut,  when  I 
heard  him  say,  '  Ah !  there  is  the  turkey-cock.' 
So,  sure  enough,  there  was  one  sitting  on  the  hough 
of  a  tree  not  fifty  yards  from  us.  As  he  spoke,  the 
crack  of  his  rifle  sounded  in  my  ears  —  down  came 
the  bird.  It  seemed  as  if  he  was  going  to  run  to 
pick  it  up ;  but  he  staggered  forward  a  few  paces, 
and  before  I  could  get  up  to  him  he  had  fallen  flat 
on  his  face.  The  blood  gushed  from  his  mouth.  I 
lifted  him  from  the  ground ;  he  pressed  my  hand, 
and  before  I  got  him  back  to  our  hut  he  was  dead. 
I  sat  down,  and  did  what  I  had  not  done  for  many 
a  long  year  before,  I  burst  into  tears.  He  had  been 
my  companion  and  friend,  faithful  and  true,  almost 
from  his  youth  upward  —  son,  wife,  every  thing  to 
me  —  and  now  he  was  gone,  and  I  was  alone  in  the 
great  white,  melancholy  wilderness.  After  a  time 
I  became  quite  foolish  —  I  spoke  to  him,  1  called 
out  his  name,  I  entreated  him  to  answer  me.  I 
felt,  at  last,  that  I  should  go  mad  if  I  kept  him 
longer  near  me,  so  I  roused  myself  and  dragged 
his  body  to  a  distance  under  au  old  hickory  tree. 
The  ground  was  too  hard  to  let  me  dig  a  grave,  so 


140  Dick  Onsloiv  and  the  Red  Skins: 

I  made  a  hole  in  the  snow,  and  collected  all  the 
stones  I  could  find  near  the  river,  and  piled  them 
over  him  ;  I  never  went  near  the  spot  again.  The 
next  three  or  four  weeks  were  the  most  miserable 
I  ever  passed  in  my  life.  Not  that  I  had  any  great 
reason  to  be  anxious  about  myself.  I  had  au 
abundance  of  food,  and  I  knew  that  I  could  easily 
find  my  way  to  the  settlements  in  the  spring ;  but 
it  was  the  long,  long  solitude  which  I  dreaded." 

"  I  can  enter  into  your  feelings,"  said  I,  inter- 
rupting him,  and  I  told  him  what  I  had  suffered, 
and,  on  comparing  notes,  we  found  that  we  had 
been  within  a  hundred  miles  of  each  other.  "  How- 
ever, go  on,"  said  I,  and  Short  continued  his  narra- 
tive. 

"  Three  or  four  weeks  had  passed  away  after  the 
death  of  Blount,  when  one  day,  as  I  was  standing 
near  my  hut  wishing  for  the  return  of  spring,  for  I 
had  very  little  to  occupy  my  hands  or  thoughts,  I 
saw  half-a-dozen  Red  Skins  approaching  me  at  a 
rapid  rate.  To  attempt  to  fly  was  useless,  and  I 
knew  that  I  could  not  hope  to  defend  myself  suc- 
cessfully ;  so,  though  I  did  not  like  their  looks,  I 
saw  that  my  only  chance  of  safety  was  to  meet 
them  in  a  friendly  manner.  Accordingly  I  ad- 
vanced toward  them.  As  I  got  nearer,  I  saw  that 
they  were  Pawnees,  some  of  the  very  tribe  among 
whom  Noggin  was  located,  and  three  of  whose 
people  I  had  lately  killed,  I  may  add  also  the  great- 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  141 

est  thieves  in  this  part  of  the  country.  Still  I  put 
the  best  face  I  could  on  the  matter,  and  held  out 
my  hand  in  token  of  friendship.  Instead  of  taking 
it,  two  of  them  seized  me  by  the  shoulders,  and 
hurried  me  back  to  my  hut.  As  soon  as  they 
entered,  they  began  to  make  free  with  every  thing 
they  saw,  and  it  was  very  evident  that  they  had 
come  to  rob  me  of  all  they  could  get.  When  their 
eyes  fell  on  poor  Blount's  rifle,  they  asked  me  what 
had  become  of  my  companion.  I  made  signs  to 
them  that  he  was  dead.  They  examined  the  hut 
for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  seemed  satisfied  that  I 
told  them  the  truth.  On  finding  that  I  had  a  good 
store  of  provisions,  they  made  signs  to  me  to  light 
a  fire,  and  then  forced  me  to  cook  enough  pro- 
visions to  satisfy  their  not  very  moderate  appetites. 
I  knew  that  it  was  better  to  comply  with  their  com- 
mands than  to  refuse,  and  the  less  spirit  I  showed, 
the  less  likely  they  were  to  keep  a  strict  watch  over 
me.  If  they  considered  that  I  was  a  brave  fellow, 
they  would  look  upon  me  as  a  greater  prize,  and 
treat  me  accordingly. 

"  After  they  had  eaten  as  much  as  they  could, 
they  went  hunting  about  the  spot  in  all  directions 
till  they  came  to  the  place  where  my  canoe  was 
hid  away.  No  sooner  did  they  see  it,  than  there 
was  a  great  consultation  among  them,  and  then 
they  came  back  and  sat  round  my  fire  and  talked 
away  for  an  hour  or  more.    The  result  of  this  con- 


142        Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

ference  was  any  thing  but  favorable  to  me.  Thej 
had  undoubtedly  heard  of  the  death  of  their  coun- 
trymen, and  knowing  the  locality,  and  seeing  the 
canoe,  they  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
deed  had  been  done  by  my  hand  or  by  that  of  ray 
late  companion.  This,  doubtless,  saved  my  life  for 
the  present.  If  I  had  killed  their  friends,  they 
wished  to  preserve  me  to  put  me  to  death  with  the 
most  refined  of  their  tortures.  That  night  they 
slept  in  my  hut.  The  next  morning,  having  pulled 
the  canoe  to  pieces,  and  totally  destroyed  my  hut, 
they  set  forth  on  what  I  guessed  from  their  prepar- 
ations to  be  a  long  journey.  I  will  not  describe 
that  journey.  At  night  we  slept  within  any  thick 
wood  or  cypress  swamp  we  could  find,  and  trav- 
elled on  the  greater  part  of  the  day.  My  captors 
exhibited  a  wonderful  power  of  endurance.  I 
walked  of  course  with  lagging  steps,  for  I  felt  sure 
that  could  I  not  find  means  to  escape,  I  should  be 
put  to  death  at  the  end  of  it.  At  last  we  fell  in 
with  the  main  body  of  the  tribe.  No  sooner  was  I 
shown  to  them,  than  several  of  them  declared  that 
I  was  the  very  man  who  had  killed  their  compan- 
ions, and  my  heart  sunk  within  me  ;  I  knew  that 
they  would  to  a  certainty  put  me  to  death  if  they 
could.  The  chief  forthwith  held  a  consultation 
with  all  ceremony,  and  speedily  decided  my  fate.  1 
was  led  into  a  large  wigwam  to  pass  the  night,  and 
guarded  by  my  captors.    I  watched  all  night  for  an 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  143 

opportunity  to  escape,  but  my  arms  and  legs  were 
secured  by  leathern  thongs  which  cut  almost  into 
my  flesh,  and  I  had  no  power  to  release  myself. 
My  heart,  as  well  it  might,  sunk  lower  and  lower. 
Day  came,  I  made  up  my  mind  that  it  was  to  be  my 
last  on  earth.  I  thought  of  Noggin,  and  I  knew 
that  if  he  could  he  would  rescue  me,  but  at  the 
same  time  I  was  aware  that  the  cunning  Red  Skins 
would  not  let  him  know  that  I  had  been  captured. 
The  day  wore  on,  the  tribe  collected  from  far  and 
near,  the  fires  were  lighted,  the  squaws  and  chil- 
dren assembled  ;  indeed,  the  same  scene  was  enact- 
ed which  I  had  seen  gone  through  with  Noggin. 
The  fire  was  actually  scorching  my  feet,  and  the 
smoke  was  ascending  into  my  nostrils,  when  the 
sky  grew  dark  and  a  terrific  snow-storm  com- 
menced. Down  it  came  like  a  sheet  upon  tlie 
earth  and  speedily  put  out  the  fires.  The  Red 
Skins  rushed  into  their  wigwams.  I  was  dragged 
back  into  the  one  where  I  had  passed  the  night, 
and  was  told  that  my  death  was  postponed  till  the 
next  day.  I  resolved  to  make  use  of  the  time  of 
grace ;  still  my  prospect  of  escape  was  slight  in- 
deed. A  stout  thong  of  buffalo  hide  was  fastened 
round  my  neck,  and  secured  to  one  of  the  beams 
which  ran  across  the  top  of  the  wigwam,  thongs 
fastened  to  my  wrists  and  ankles,  and  cut  deeply  into 
my  flesh,  and  my  guards,  squatted  closely  around, 
seemed  inclined  never  to  take  their  eyes  off  me. 


144         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

Every  now  and  then  they  addressed  me  and  tohl 
me  for  my  comfort  that  I  should  eat  fire  in  the 
morning ;  I  wished  that  they  would  go  to  sleep,  and, 
at  all  events,  leave  me  in  peace.  At  last  four  of 
them  lay  down,  and  I  knew  by  their  snoring  that 
they  were  really  unconscious  of  the  present.  Two 
of  them  still  sat  up  and  kept  talking  at  me,  de- 
scribing the  horrors  I  was  to  go  through.  At  length 
one  of  those  two  lay  down,  and  now  only  one  old 
man  remained  awake  ;  I  thought  he  would  never 
cease  talking  and  smoking  and  tormenting  mc.  On 
he  talked ;  never  have  I  seen  a  more  hideous  or 
vicious  old  fellow.  I  tried  in  vain  not  to  listen. 
However,  at  last  his  voice  grew  thick,  and  more 
and  more  indistinct ;  his  pipe  went  out  and  his 
head  dropped  on  his  breast.  Not  a  moment  was  to 
be  lost ;  I  tugged  and  tugged  at  the  thongs  which 
bound  my  wrists.  My  heart  beat  so  quick  and 
loud  that  I  thought  the  sound  would  awaken  my 
captors.  My  struggles  freed  my  wrists,  and  I  soon 
had  my  ankles  free,  but  the  tough,  well-seasoned 
buffalo-hide  rope  round  my  neck  resisted  all  my  ef- 
forts to  loosen  it.  Daylight  was  approaching.  The 
noise  I  made,  or  my  loud  breathing  roused  up  the 
old  man.  I  thought  all  was  lost.  Placing  my 
hands  behind  me,  I  pretended  to  be  dozing.  He 
got  up,  stirred  the  fire,  and  then  sat  down  again. 
Oh,  how  anxiously  I  waited  for  him  to  go  to  sleep 
again.     Once  more  his  head  dropped  on  his  breast, 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  145 

and  he  snored.     That  was  the  sweetest  ncise  I  had 
heard  for  a  long  time. 

"  I  had  gnawed  and  tugged  at  the  thong  round 
my  neck  in  vain  ;  but  I  knew  that  what  a  steady 
strain  will  not  accomplish  a  sudden  jerk  may  do. 
I  seized  the  thong  with  the  grasp  of  despair,  gave  it 
two  or  three  rapid  pulls,  and  to  my  joy  it  parted. 
I  was  free,  but  still  I  had  many  dangers  to  on- 
counter.  A  watchful  dog  or  a  sleepless  Indian 
might  discover  me.  Treading  with  the  caution  I 
knew  was  so  necessary,  I  passed  between  the  bodies 
of  the  sleeping  Red  Skins  and  stepped  out  into  the 
open  air.  The  cold  restored  my  strength.  I  looked 
around  on  every  side.  The  stars  were  shining 
brightly  above  my  head,  and  the  lodges  of  my  ene- 
mies lay  around  in  the  dark  shadow  of  the  forest. 
The  neighing  of  a  horse  showed  me  where  some  of 
the  steeds  of  the  tribe  were  tethered.  I  ran  toward 
the  spot.  I  had  no  time  for  selection.  I  threw 
myself  on  the  back  of  the  first  animal  I  found. 
The  first  faint  streaks  of  dawn  were  already  ap- 
pearing in  the  eastern  sky.  Not  an  instant  had  I 
to  lose.  I  should,  I  knew,  be  very  speedily  pur- 
sued. I  scarcely  had  time  to  consider  in  which 
direction  I  should  go.  Tlie  thong  which  still  hung 
round  my  neck  served  me  for  a  bridle.  I  looked 
up  at  the  bright  stars  and  turned  the  horse's  head 
toward  the  south.  One  thing  only  I  could  resolve 
on,  not  to  pull  rein  till  I  was  beyond  the  reach  of 
It 


146  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

pursuit.  I  soon  found  that  I  had  got  one  of  the 
Ijest  horses  of  the  whole  stud.  Away  I  went  gal- 
loping over  the  snow,  fleet  as  tlie  wind.  I  could 
not  conceal  my  trail ;  but  if  I  had  the  best  steed 
and  an  hour's  start,  I  might  keep  ahead  of  my 
pursuers,  and  fall  in  with  some  friendly  tribe,  or 
by  some  other  means  obtain  assistance  before  I  was 
overtaken.  My  horse  was  a  noble  animal.  He 
had,  I  doubt  not,  been  stolen  not  long  before  from 
the  whites,  and  he  seemed  glad  to  have  a  white 
man  again  on  his  back.  Poor  beast !  I  did  not 
spare  him.  Full  fifty  miles  I  went  witliout  pulling 
rein.  Then  I  threw  myself  off  and  turned  his 
head  to  the  wind  to  let  him  regain  his  strength. 
But  few  minutes  only  I  halted  ;  I  either  heard  my 
pursuers  or  thought  I  heard  them.  Again  I 
mounted  and  galloped  on  as  before.  The  noble 
brute  seemed  to  know  the  importance  of  haste. 
Oh  how  willingly  he  went  up  steep  hills,  down  wild 
valleys,  across  streams,  over  the  most  rugged 
ground  —  nothing  stopped  him.  We  came  to  a 
broad  river.  It  was  frozen  over  with  a  sheet  of 
smooth  ice,  from  which  the  wind  had  blown  the 
snow.  Still  on  he  went  slipping  and  sliding.  Sev- 
eral times  I  thought  he  would  be  down,  and  yet  I 
dared  not  check  him;  but  he  recovered  himself 
and  reached  the  opposite  side  in  safety.  Some- 
times we  were  almost  buried  in  the  snow.  On  the 
other   side   of  the   river   we  plunged  into  a  deep 


An  Adventure  in  the  Fa/r  West.  147 

snowdrift;  but  he  plunged  on,  and,  planting  his 
feet  on  firm  ground,  sprung  upward  again,  and  on 
he  went  breasting  tlie  side  of  a  steep  hill.  We 
gained  the  summit.  I  looked  back  for  an  instant. 
I  thought  I  could  discern  in  the  far  distance  several 
black  spots.  I  was  sure  that  they  were  my  pur- 
suers. On  I  went  along  the  ridge  of  the  mountain. 
It  was  stony  and  free  from  snow,  and  I  hoped  that 
if  my  pursuers  should  discover  my  trail  across  the 
ice  they  might  possibly  here  lose  it.  This  thought 
gave  me  fresh  courage.  I  came  to  tlie  end  of  the 
ridge  and  descended  into  the  plain.  My  noble 
steed  was  becoming  much  distressed.  Still  I  valued 
my  life  more  tlian  his.  As  long  as  he  could  go  I 
must  make  him  go.  On  he  went.  Full  eighty 
miles  had  been  passed  over  since  dawr^.  Neither 
my  horse  nor  I  had  tasted  food.  Still  I  dared  not 
stop.  Across  the  plain  we  went.  Nearly  another 
ten  miles  were  gone  over.  I  felt  my  horse's  legs 
staggering  under  him.  He  breathed  heavily,  his 
pace  slackened  ;  still  he  endeavored  to  spring  for- 
ward. He  staggered  more  and  more,  and  I  had 
barely  time  to  throw  myself  off  when  down  he 
came  to  the  ground.  Once  he  tried  to  rise,  but 
again  he  fell,  and  iiis  glassy  eye  told  me  too  plainly 
that  he  had  destroyed  himself  in  his  efforts  to  save 
me.  Who  but  the  base-hearted  would  be  unmerci- 
ful to  man's  most  serviceable  and  sagacious  of 
friends  ?     I  had  no  time  to  stop  and  mourn  for  my 


148  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

gallant  steed.  Casting  but  another  look  on  him  1 
ran  on  over  the  ground  as  rapidly  as  my  legs  would 
carry  me.  I  never  stopped ;  I  never  looked  behind 
me.  I  knew  that  nothing  would  turn  aside  my 
blood-thirsty  pursuers.  Night  came  on  ;  still  I  ran 
without  slacking  my  speed.  I  had  been  in  motion 
since  the  morning  without  food,  still  the  dread  of 
falling  into  the  power  of  my  savage  foes  gave  me 
supernatural  strengtii.  A  wood  lay  before  me  ;  I 
plunged  into  it.  I  still  could  distinguish  my 
course  by  tbe  stars,  and  I  hoped  that  my  pursuers 
would  be  unable  to  make  out  my  trail.  This  hope 
gave  me  fresh  courage,  but  my  strength  was 
failing  mc,  and  in  a  short  time  gasping  for  breath, 
I  fell  to  tlie  ground,  and  the  blood  guslied  out  of 
my  mouth#  I  thought  I  was  going  to  die  like  my 
poor  horse,  but  after  a  time  I  felt  better,  and  hope 
revived  once  more.  I  lay  still  in  the  hopes  of 
recovering  my  strength.  I  did  not  wish  to  sleep, 
indeed  I  knew  how  dangerous  it  would  be  to  attempt 
to  do  so.  As  I  lay  on  my  back,  I  saw  the  moon 
slowly  rise  above  the  still  trees,  and  shed  a  bright 
light  over  the  landscape.  I  gazed  at  it  for  some 
time ;  then  I  recollected  that  by  its  light  my 
pursuers  would  certainly  be  able  to  follow  up  my 
trail.  Instantly  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  stiflf  and  full 
of  pains  as  I  felt,  and  on  once  more  I  went.  I  came 
at  last  to  a  rugged  hill.  I  climbed  it,  and  following 
tlie  stony  ridge  for  some  way,  descended  into  the 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  149 

plain  on  the  opposite  side.  On  I  ran.  As  before,  I 
thought  I  heard  the  shouts  and  threatening  cries  of 
my  enemies,  and  fancied  that  they  must  have  got 
to  the  side  of  the  mountain  I  was  on  by  some  other 
path.  As  long  as  I  had  any  strength  I  determined 
to  run  on.  Day  at  last  dawned  ;  I  entered  a  wood. 
I  had  my  knife  in  my  pocket.  I  dug  up  some 
eartli-nuts,  and  chewed  some  snow.  I  felt  revived, 
but  my  legs  refused  to  carry  me  further.  I  discov- 
ered a  hole  full  of  leaves,  I  threw  myself  into  it ;  I 
listened  with  intense  anxiety  for  any  sounds  made 
by  my  pursuers.  I  could  hear  none.  Exhausted 
nature  at  length  gave  way,  and  I  slept.  Whether 
I  slept  more  than  a  whole  day,  or  only  a  few  hours 
I  cannot  tell.  My  first  impulse  was  to  spring  up 
and  continue  my  flight.  But  before  I  left  the  wood 
I  remembered  that  I  must  have  more  food,  so  I  dug 
up  a  further  supply  of  nuts,  and  then  dashed  away 
as  before  across  the  plain.  I  looked  hastily  around 
me,  but  could  see  no  pursuers.  Still  I  knew  too 
well  their  pertinacity  and  their  devices,  to  suppose 
that  they  would  desist  from  following  me,  till  I  was 
actually  in  a  place  of  safety.  On  I  went  therefore 
rejoicing  in  the  darkness. 

"  Suddenly  as  I  went  along  I  heard  some  strange 
sounds.  These  were  human  voices.  I  became 
aware  that  I  was  passing  near  a  large  body  of  In- 
dians. They  were  not  my  pursuers,  but,  till  I 
could  ascertain  who  they  were,  I  would  on  no  ao 
1»* 


150  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

count  intrust  myself  with  them.  To  turn  back  was 
as  hazardous  as  to  proceed,  so  on  I  went.  They 
heard  me,  and  came  after  me.  I  expected  to  lose 
my  scalp  after  all,  when  you,  my  friends,  came  to 
ray  rescue,  and  here  I  am  ;  rather  battered,  I  own, 
but  still  able  and  willing  to  pull  a  trigger  for  our 
mutual  defence." 

"  Spoken  like  an  honest  backwoodsman,"  cried 
Obed  and  his  brothers.  "  Friend  Short,  if  you  like 
to  join  your  fortunes  to  ours,  you  are  welcome." 

The  old  man  owned  that  he  had  no  fancy  to  hunt 
by  himself,  and  that  after  the  adventures  he  had 
gone  through  he  would  gladly  leave  that  part  of 
the  country,  for,  as  he  said,  Indian  vengeance  never 
slumbers,  and  never  dies,  as  if  in  exact  contradiction 
to  the  Ciiristian  law  of  love. 

Knowing  that  we  were  surrounded  by  vindictive 
enemies,  none  of  us  felt  inclined  for  sleep,  and  I 
therefore  asked  Obed  to  continue  the  account  of  liis 
adventures.  "  Ay,  friend,  that  I  will,"  he  answered 
promptly.  "  I  left  the  honest  Delaware  and  the 
bear  and  her  cubs  all  rolling  away  into  the  river 
together.  Tlie  cold  water  somewhat  astonished 
Mistress  Bruin,  and  made  her  for  an  instant  let  go 
her  gripe.  The  Delaware  took  the  opportunity  of 
striking  his  knife  with  all  his  force  into  her  neck, 
and  before  she  could  return  the  compliment,  he 
sprung  up  the  bank,  on  the  top  of  which  I  stood 
ready  to  assist  him.     The  bear  was  not  killed,  but, 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  151 

rendered  furious  by  the  wound,  she  began  to  scam- 
ble  up  the  bank  after  us.  The  Delaware  sprang  to 
get  his  rifle,  while  I  pointed  mine  at  the  brute's 
head.  On  she  came.  I  fired,  and  expected  to  see 
her  roll  over,  but  the  bullet  did  not  strike  a  vital 
part,  and  so  she  made  savagely  at  me. 

The  Delaware  had  by  this  time  regained  posses- 
sion of  his  rifle,  and  while  I  threw  myself  on  one 
side,  he  fired  with  unerring  aim  full  at  the  bear's 
head.  In  another  instant  her  claws  would  have 
been  on  my  shoulders,  and  her  teeth  in  my  cheeks. 
The  ball  struck  her.  With  a  fierce  growl  she 
attempted  to  spring  forward,  but  I  stepped  back, 
and  over  she  rolled  at  our  feet.  The  cubs  came 
waddling  up  to  see  what  was  the  matter  with  their 
mother,  and  as  they  were  rather  too  big  to  be  pleas- 
ant companions,  we  were  obliged  to  kill  them.  We 
ate  some  slices  off"  them  afterward.  We  spent  the 
evening  very  pleasantly  over  our  fire,  and  next  day 
at  dawn  we  pushed  on,  that  we  might  encamp  while 
there  was  an  abundance  of  light  to  put  up  our 
wigwam,  and  to  kill  any  game  we  might  require. 
Several  days  passed  away  without  any  event  of  in- 
terest to  tell  you  of.  The  Delaware  was  an  excel- 
lent travelling  companion,  and  I  believe  that  without 
him  the  Indians  would  speedily  have  found  me  out, 
and  would  have  left  me  without  a  top  to  my  head. 
We  had  quitted  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  were 
progressing  across  a  wide  rolling  prairie.     Although 


152         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

the  wind  when  it  blew  was  keen,  the  sun  had  still  at 
midday  great  power.  "We  toiled  on  through  the 
high  grass  with  not  a  breath  of  air,  hoping  to  get 
across  the  prairie  before  nightfall.  We  could  see, 
from  the  nature  of  the  ground,  very  little  way  on 
either  side  of  us. 

"  Suddenly  we  were  conscious  of  a  hot  wind  blow- 
ing on  our  right  cheeks,  and  then  it  came  laden  with 
smoke  and  fine  dust.  '  On  !  on  ! '  cried  tlie  Dela- 
ware, grasping  my  arm  to  hasten  my  steps.  There 
was  reason  for  us  to  hasten.  '  Tiie  prairie  is  on 
fire,  and  before  long,  if  we  delay,  we  shall  be  sur- 
rounded by  the  raging  flames,'  he  exclaimed.  '  On  ! 
on  !  on  ! '  I  saw  in  the  far  distance  a  rocky  mound, 
rising  out  of  the  prairie,  toward  which  my  guide 
pointed.  I  saw  that  he  meant  that  we  should  seek 
safety  there,  but  it  seemed  to  me  scarcely  possible 
that  we  sliould  reach  it  before  the  fire  would  over 
take  us." 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  153 


CHAPTER   IX. 

Obed's  adventures  continued.  —  Journey  with  a  Delaware.  —  The  praine 
on  Jire. —  They  fly  foi-  their  lives.  —  A  stampede. — A  narrow 
escape  on  the  rock.  —  J^ny  journey.  —  Approach  of  mnter.  —  Their 
life  in  a  cave.  —  Expected  visit  from  beais.  —  Journey  continued.  — 
Arrival  at  the  fort.  —  Further  adventures  with  bears  and  wolves.  — 
Save  the  life  of  a  young  chief.  —  Carry  him  onward  till  they  reach 
their  camp. —  The  young  Red  Skin's  gratitude. — End  of  Obed's 
narrative.  —  Fresh  alarms.  —  Again  the  enemy  aprproach. 

"  The  Delaware  and  I  ran  on  at  full  speed  through 
the  high  grass,"  continued  Obed.  "  Every  instant 
I  expected  to  be  tripped  up  by  its  tougli  roots,  which 
trailed  along  the  earth,  but  my  companion,  who  was 
well  accustomed  to  the  sort  of  ground,  kept  me  from 
falling.  I  asked  him,  as  we  ran,  why  he  did  not 
stop,  and,  as  I  knew  to  be  the  custom,  cut  down  and 
burn  a  clear  space  round  us,  so  as  to  let  the  confla- 
gration pass  by  on  either  side.  '  The  deer  and  buf- 
faloes, and  other  wild  animals,  would  rush  through 
the  space,  and  trample  us  to  death,'  he  answered. 
*  Even  now  I  hear  the  sound  of  their  hoofs  in  the 
distance  —  haste  !  haste  ! '  I  tried  to  listen  as  I 
ran,  and  I  fancied  that  I  did  hear  a  low,  murmuring, 
hollow  sound,  which  had  a  peculiarly  terror-inspir- 
ing effect.  The  wind  blew  stronger,  the  air  became 
denser  and   more   oppressive,  and   the   ashes   fell 


154  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

thicker  around  us.  We  distinctly  heard  the  noise 
of  the  rushing  flames.  The  rock  toward  which  we 
were  running  rose  before  us,  but  yet,  near  as  it  was, 
the  fire  came  roaring  on  so  rapidly,  that  I  fully  ex- 
pected it  to  overtake  us.  On  it  came,  hissing  and 
crackling.  The  air  grew  hotter  and  hotter,  and 
more  and  more  oppressive.  As  I  struggled  on,  I  felt 
as  if  I  could  scarcely  move  my  limbs.  It  was  like 
a  dreadful  dream,  when  a  person  fancies  that  dan- 
ger is  near,  and  that  he  cannot  fly  from  it.  I  gasped 
for  breath.  The  Indian  also  was  much  distressed. 
Some  things  men  can  get  accustomed  to,  but  to  have 
to  run  for  one's  life,  with  a  prairie  fire  roaring  at 
one's  side,  one  does  not  like  a  bit  more  the  tenth 
time  it  is  encountered  than  the  first.  '  On,  on  ! ' 
cried  out  the  faithful  Delaware.  He  could  run 
faster  than  I  could,  but  still  he  delayed  for  me. 
Besides  the  crackling  and  hissing  of  the  fire,  tliere 
was  a  loud,  roaring,  trampling,  crushing,  thunder- 
ing sound,  or  mixture  of  sounds,  utterly  indescriba- 
ble. The  rock  was  reached — we  chambered  up  it. 
We  gained  the  summit.  It  was  a  wide,  open  space, 
entirely  free  of  grass.  Almost  fainting,  I  was  sink- 
ing to  the  ground,  when  I  saw  the  Delaware  point- 
ing to  the  plain  below  us.  There,  across  the  ground 
we  had  just  left,  came  tearing  along,  in  strange  con- 
fusion, herds  of  buffaloes,  deer,  wolves,  foxes,  prairie 
hares,  several  bears,  and  even  birds,  turkeys,  prairie 
hens,  and  other  wild  fowl,  all  uttering  their  peculiar 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  155 

cries  of  terror,  and  utterly  disregarding  each  otlied 
Not  one  stopped  to  prey  on  another. 

"  One  feeling  of  intense  terror  inspired  the  whole 
mass.  On  they  flew,  fleet  as  the  wind  ;  all  they 
seemed  to  think  of  was,  that  the  fire  was  behind 
them,  and  that,  unless  they  would  be  destroyed,  they 
must  fly.  Some  were  left  dead  or  wounded,  the 
weak  trampled  on  by  the  stronger,  but  still  on  scam- 
pered the  mass,  with  the  fire  raging  at  their  heels. 
I  saw  what  would  have  been  our  fate,  had  we  not 
reached  the  rock  before  the  herd  passed  by,  and  I 
thanked  Heaven  that  we  had  been  preserved.  We 
remained  on  the  rock  for  some  hours,  till  the  ground 
below  was  cool  enough  to  enable  us  to  proceed  ; 
but,  after  the  heat  of  the  fire,  the  air  felt  bitterly 
cold,  and  we  had  no  shelter  from  it.  I  do  not  think 
we  could  have  endured  it  during  the  night.  We 
descended,  and  began  to  cross  the  remainder  of  the 
plaiu,  but  even  then  our  feet  struck  up  sparks  from 
the  yet  smouldering  ashes,  and  light  clouds  of  smoke 
rose  up  continually,  circling  round  our  heads  till 
they  were  dispersed  in  the  clear  atmosphere.  Des- 
olate, dismal,  and  barren  looked  the  country  through 
which  we  journeyed  on  the  following  day.  Not  a 
vestige  remained  of  animal  life,  but  here  and  there 
appeared  the  skinless  skulls  and  bones  of  some  huge 
buffalo  or  stately  stag,  which  had  long  lain  there 
blanching  in  the  suii.  The  sky  had  for  some  time 
been  overcast.      The  Delaware  pointed  toward  it. 


156  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

*  The  winter  is  coming,'  he  observed  ;  '  this  is  not 
the  place  to  be  overtaken  in  a  snow-storm.'  I  agreed 
with  him  :  so,  in  spite  of  the  fatigue  which,  after 
jnj  wounds  and  loss  of  blood,  I  felt  in  a  way  I  had 
never  before  done,  I  dragged  my  heavy  legs  after 
him.  We  reached  about  nightfall  a  clump  of  trees 
Under  their  shelter  we  lighted  our  fire,  cooked  our 
provisions,  and  lay  down  to  rest.  Nature  required 
rest.  Often  have  I  thought  of  those  words,  '  The 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the 
Sabbath.'  Constituted  as  man  is,  what  a  blessing 
truly  is  the  Sabbath !  how  sweet,  how  necessary  is 
rest! 

"  We  rose  before  daybreak,  stirred  up  our  fire, 
cooked  and  ate  our  breakfast,  and,  as  the  light  of 
dawn  found  its  way  through  the  trees  which  sur- 
rounded us,  we  started  on  our  way.  The  sky  was 
ominously  dark,  but  the  snow  had  not  yet  began  to 
fall,  yet  the  piercing  air  told  us  that  it  would  not 
long  be  delayed.  The  Delaware  spoke  but  little. 
He  evidently  did  not  like  the  state  of  things.  I 
had  made  up  my  mind  from  the  first  to  be  guided 
by  his  judgment.  One  thing  was  very  certain,  that 
we  could  not  stop  where  we  were.  Our  only  chance 
of  safety  depended  on  our  pushing  on.  '  Where 
to  ?  '  I  thought.  I  saw  nothing  but  the  wide-roll- 
ing, blackened  prairie  before  me.  The  sight  alone 
was  depressing,  independent  of  the  anticipation  of 
coming    evil.     Hour    after  hour  passed.    Not    a 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  157 

break  appeared  in  the  dQuds,  not  a  gleam  of  sun- 
shine burst  forth  to  cheer  us.  Still  the  snow  did 
not  fall,  and  there  was  nothing  to  impede  our  pro- 
gress. We  stopped  at  noon  to  dine.  A  few  min- 
utes sufficed  us  for  our  frugal  meal.  The  bitter 
cold  did  not  tempt  us  to  rest  longer  than  was  nec- 
essary. 

"  On  again  we  went.  '  Where  is  the  wood  in 
which  we  are  to  pass  the  night?'  I  asked  of  the 
Delaware.  '  It  is  yet  far  off,'  was  his  unsatisfactory 
answer.  Evening  was  drawing  on.  I  saw  a  bleak 
hill,  but  no  wood  capable  of  affording  us  shelter. 
Just  then  a  snow-flake  settled  on  my  face.  It  was 
a  slight  thing.  How  indifferent  should  I  have  been 
to  it  at  other  times  !  Now  it  made  my  heart  sink 
lower  than  it  had  ever  done  before.  Another  and 
another  fell ;  then  down  the  snow-flakes  came  rap- 
idly, thickly  sprinkling  the  ground  and  our  gar- 
ments. The  wind  sent  them  driving  against  us 
over  the  prairie.  The  Delaware  pointed  to  the 
hill.  On  toward  it  we  pushed.  The  snow  in  a 
few  minutes  completely  covered  the  ground,  a  sheet 
of  white  was  spread  out  where  lately  all  had  been 
black,  here  and  there  only  the  taller  tufts  of  grass 
appearing  above  it.  There  was  no  prospect  of  the 
snow  ceasing  to  fall.  Soon  it  covered  our  mocas- 
suis,  and  reached  to  our  ankles.  Walking  became 
more  and  more  difficult.  It  was  half-way  up  to  our 
knees,  still  we  pushed  on.  My  companion  re- 
u 


158         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

mained  silent.  I  did  not  trouble  him  by  asking 
questions.  He  had  hopes  of  escaping  or  he  would, 
I  thought,  very  likely  have  sat  down  where  he  was 
and  quietly  awaited  his  fate.  Had  he  done  so,  it 
would  have  been  my  business  to  rouse  him  to  ex- 
rtion.  The  snow  fell  thicker  and  thicker.  Day- 
light was  rapidly  decreasing.  It  grew  less  and  less. 
All  we  could  see  was  the  sheet  of  snow  immediate- 
ly surrounding  us.  Still  my  companion  went 
steadily  on. 

"  Backwoodsman  as  I  am,  and  am  proud  to  be, 
I  should  have  been  completely  at  a  loss  in  what 
direction  to  go  had  I  been  left  by  myself,  except 
I  had  trusted  to  the  wind.  As  long  as  that  blew 
it  would  have  served  as  a  guide,  though  a  some- 
what uncertain  one.  Even  that  guide  proved  fickle. 
The  wind  fell  and  the  snow  came  down  perpendic- 
ularly, or  rather  on  all  sides,  floating  here  and 
there,  and  completely  surrounding  us.  Still  my 
companion  went  on  without  hesitation.  At  first  I 
had  walked  by  his  side,  now  I  dropped  behind  him 
and  trod  in  his  footsteps.  This  enabled  me  to  keep 
up  with  him  better.  As  far  as  I  could  judge,  I 
believe  his  course  was  straight  as  an  arrow  for 
the  point  at  which  he  was  aiming.  The  cold 
was  less  intense  than  it  had  been  before  the  snow 
began  to  fall,  still  I  felt  that  if  we  were  to  stop. 
we  should  very  likely  be  frozen  to  death.  Though 
I  kept  as  close  as  I  could  to  my  companion,  almost 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  159 

touching  him  indeed,  so  thickly  did  the  snow  come 
down  that  often  I  could  barely  distinguish  his  misty 
form  before  me. 

"  I  never  felt  so  helpless,  my  manhood  seemed 
to  have  deserted  me.  I  thought  if  I  should  stumble 
and  fall  before  I  could  cry  out,  he  might  be  out 
of  sight,  and  be  unable  to  find  me.  I  confess  that 
all  sorts  of  dreadful  fancies  came  into  my  head. 
At  last  I  got  ashamed  of  them,  and  tried  to  get  a 
better  heart  in  my  body.  I  began  to  whistle,  but 
that  would  not  do  ;  then  I  tried  to  sing ;  I  got  on 
badly  enough  in  that  way  also.  I  don't  think  the 
Delaware  quite  approved  of  the  attempt.  He 
grunted  out  something  once  or  twice.  Perhaps 
he  was  trying  to  join  in  the  chorus.  My  voice, 
indeed,  grew  fainter  and  fainter,  and  at  last  I  was 
obliged  to  give  up  the  attempt.  My  knees,  too, 
were  less  and  less  able  to  support  me ;  I  felt  them 
trembling  under  my  weight.  Still  I  toiled  on.  I 
would  not  complain,  that  would  have  lowered  me 
in  the  estimation  of  my  guide,  and  I  would  not  ask 
questions,  so  I  remained  ignorant  as  to  what  pros- 
pect there  was  of  our  reaching  shelter  from  the 
storm.  At  last  I  found  that  we  were  going  up  hill 
over  rugged  ground,  and  I  concluded  that  we  had 
reached  the  hill  I  had  seen  before  it  grew  dark. 
We  went  on  for  some  way  up  and  then  down,  and 
then  along  a  level  place,  and  then  up  again,  and 
I  saw  a  dark  object  rising  on  my  right  side,  high 


160  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

above  our  heads  it  seemed.  It  looked  to  me  like  a 
precipice.  Presently  my  guide  stopped,  so  sud- 
denly that  I  ran  against  him.  Then  he  turned  to 
the  right  without  speaking,  and  I  followed  him. 
We  went  on  a  few  paces,  and  I  found  that  we  were 
in  total  darkness.  No  snow  fell  on  me,  the  air 
felt  comparatively  warm,  and  I  was  conscious  thai 
there  was  something  above  my  head.  '  Stay,'  said 
the  Delaware,  and  I  heard  the  click  of  his  flint  and 
steel.  The  bright  sparks  came  forth,  and  he  a|> 
plied  them  to  his  tinder,  and  I  saw  the  glowing 
mass  lowered  to  the  ground ;  and  the  countenance 
of  the  Indian  lighted  up  as  he  blew  against  it,  till 
it  grew  larger  and  larger,  and  a  bright  flame  burst 
forth,  and  I  found  that  we  were  in  a  high  arched 
cavern.  How  cheerful  the  fire  looked  as  it  burnt 
up,  and  sitting  round  it  we  warmed  our  numbed 
limbs,  and  felt  that  we  had  found  a  shelter  from 
the  storm.  The  place  had  evidently  constantly 
been  used  for  the  same  purpose.  There  was  a 
good  supply  of  wood  on  one  side,  sufficient  to  light 
many  a  fire  for  some  time  to  come.  Further  up 
the  floor  of  the  cavern  was  strewed  with  the  bones 
of  animals,  many  of  which  must  have  been  of  vast 
size,  and  have  lived  in  bygone  ages.  We  had  killed 
a  deer  not  long  before,  so,  having  warmed  our 
hands,  we  set  to  work  to  toast  some  of  the  meat  at 
the  end  of  our  ramrods.  The  food  and  warmth 
once  more  wakened  the  Delaware's  tongue,  and  he 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  161 

told  me  that  iu  five  days,  after  leaving  our  present 
position,  we  should  be  able  to  reach  Fort  Laramie 
'  When  shall  we  be  able  to  leave  it  ?  '  I  asked.  '  Is 
there  not  some  probability  of  our  being  snowed 
up  ? '  'I  cannot  answer  two  questions  in  one 
breath,'  answered  the  Delaware.  '  As  to  when  we 
can  leave  the  cavern,  depends  on  when  the  snow 
ceases  falling.  It  may  be  in  three  days,  or  it  may 
fall  for  a  week  or  more.  As  to  being  snowed  up, 
there  is  not  much  probability  of  that.  Should  it 
by  any  chance  drift  against  the  mouth  of  the  cavern, 
we  must  cut  our  way  out.  But  do  not  fear.  We 
are  warm  here,  we  have  fire  and  food.  Let  us  be 
thankful  for  the  blessings  we  enjoy.' 

"  I  felt  the  truth  and  wisdom  of  his  observations, 
and  having  piled  up  more  wood  on  the  fire,  we 
wrapped  ourselves  up  in  our  buffalo  robes,  and  lay 
down  with  our  feet  toward  it.  The  Indian  was 
asleep  in  an  instant.  Though  1  thought  for  a 
minute  or  so,  I  very  quickly  followed  liis  example. 
We  both  of  us  awoke  at  intervals  and  made  up  our 
fire,  but  were  instantly  again  asleep,  and  I  do  not 
think  I  ever  enjoyed  more  refreshing  slumber.  It 
was  broad  dayliglit  when  I  awoke.  I  got  up,  and 
went  to  the  mouth  of  the  cavern  ;  the  snow  fell  as 
thickly  and  fast  as  ever,  but  as  it  did  not  appear 
to  be  blocking  up  our  cavern,  that  did  not  concern 
me. 

"  After  some  time  the  Delaware  awoke,  and  then 

14* 


162         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  S/dns . 

we  toasted  some  more  veuison.  After  he  had  eaten 
it,  he  lay  down  and  went  fast  aleep  again.  1  slept 
a  good  deal,  but  I  could  not  manage  as  much  as  he 
did.  I  asked  him  how  he  contrived  to  sleep  so 
much.  He  laughed  calmly.  '  When  I  have  thought 
of  what  is  to  be  done,  why  should  I  think  of  any 
thing  more  ?  Then  I  sleep  to  be  ready  for  the 
work  to  be  done.'  Day  after  day  passed  by ;  I 
began  to  grow  very  weary  of  being  shut  up  in  the 
cavern,  though  I  exercised  my  limbs  by  walking  up 
and  down  it  continually,  and  amused  myself  by 
examining  the  bones  of  the  animals  in  the  interior. 
Many  of  them  were,  I  doubted  not,  of  elephants, 
and  lions,  and  tigers,  strange  animals  which  I  had 
read  about,  while  with  the  others  I  was  familiar 
enough  — buffaloes,  bears,  wolves,  stags,  and  others. 
I  must  own  that  I  was  not  always  quite  comfortable 
when  I  lay  down  to  sleep,  expecting  that  perhaps 
we  might  be  visited  by  a  roving  bear  or  a  hungry 
wolf,  and  more  than  once,  when  I  opened  my  eyes, 
I  fully  expected  to  see  one  poking  his  head  in  at 
the  entrance,  or  standing  by  ready  to  fly  at  one 
of  us  the  instant  we  made  any  movement.  The 
Delaware  did  not  appear  to  be  troubled  about  the 
matter,  and  certain  it  is  that  none  came  near  us  all 
(he  time  we  were  in  the  cave.  The  only  reason  the 
Indian  could  give  for  our  not  being  attacked,  was, 
that  the  animals  were  afraid  of  the  spirits  of  their 
long  dead  fellows,  whose  bones  were  found  there 


Ati  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  163 

I  suspect  that  the  bears  did  not  come  because  the 
cave  was  so  frequently  visited,  while  the  wolves  kept 
to  the  lower  grounds,  where  they  were  more  likely 
to  find  animals  to  prey  on. 

Tlie  snow  ceased  at  last ;  but  it  was  not  till  the 
tenth  day  that  the  Delaware  said  that  it  would  be 
hard  enough  for  us  to  travel  on  without  snow  shoes. 
We  had  to  ascend  the  mountain  some  way,  and 
then  to  descend.  Tiie  western  side  was  thickly 
covered  with  trees  ;  indeed,  the  country  through 
wliich  we  passed  was  very  rich,  and  only  wanted 
the  hand  of  an  industrious  people  to  make  it  fertile. 
We  each  night  reached  a  good  camping  place,  and 
as  we  were  fortunate  in  killing  two  hen  turkeys, 
the  Delaware  said  we  should  not  be  pressed  for 
want  of  food,  and  we  accordingly  travelled  on  at  an 
easy  pace.  One  forenoon,  as  we  were  passing  over 
a  height,  I  knew  from  the  way  the  trees  grew  that 
there  was  a  river  below  us,  though  now  it  was 
covered  with  nature's  uniform  of  white.  Carrying 
ray  eye  along  it  in  the  far  distance,  I  saw  a  wreath 
of  white  smoke  ascending  into  the  clear  bright  blue 
sky.  There  was  something  inexpressibly  cheering 
in  the  sight,  after  going  so  long  without  seeing  the 
slightest  sign  of  human  beings.  However,  the 
smoke  might  be  produced  by  Indians,  and  perhaps 
enemies,  whom  we  must  of  necessity  avoid.  I 
asked  the  Delaware  if  he  would  tell  what  he  knew 
about  the  matter.     '  That  is  the  fort,'  he  answered  ; 


164  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

*you  will  there  very  likely  gain  tidings  of  your 
friends.'  My  heart  bounded  within  me  at  the 
thought  of  being  once  more  united  to  my  family. 
'  The  sun  will  sink  thus  far  down  before  we  can 
reach  the  place,'  said  the  Indian,  pointing  to  the 
sky  with  his  hand.  This  good  news  added  fresh 
vigor  to  my  muscles,  and  I  found  myself  not  only 
keeping  up  with  the  Indian,  but  actually  hurrying 
his  steps.  After  walking  for  nearly  two  hours  over 
very  rugged  ground,  up  and  down  steep  and  wild 
hills,  we  saw  before  us,  on  an  elevated  mound  over- 
looking the  river,  a  strong  stockade,  over  which 
peeped  the  roofs  of  several  cottages,  while  a  deep 
trench  cut  round  the  hill  added  yet  more  to  the 
strength  of  the  place.  As  the  Delaware  and  I  drew 
near,  we  saw  that  we  were  closely  watched  through 
a  spy-glass.  We  waved  our  hands  to  show  that  we 
came  as  friends,  and  as  we  began  to  climb  the 
steep  height  toward  the  fort,  several  people  came 
out  by  the  door  of  the  fort  to  meet  us.  How 
pleasant  it  was  to  be  welcomed  as  a  white  man  by 
white  men,  to  hear  them  talk  and  to  be  treated  as 
a  brother !  The  honest  Delaware,  too,  was  wel 
comed,  for  he  had  brought  letters  for  many  in  the 
fort,  and  undertook  to  deliver  any  others  in  return, 
with  which  he  might  be  intrusted.  How  pleasant 
was  a  cup  of  hot  tea,  and  some  soft  bread,  and  the 
vegetables  for  dinner,  and  then  to  find  myself 
turning  into  a  real  bed,  with  sheets  and  blankets ! 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  165 

The  truth  is,  however,  that  after  sleeping  so  long 
in  the  open  air,  I  found  that  of  a  small  room  so  op- 
pressive that  I  could  not  breathe,  and  had  to  get 
up  and  open  the  window,  and  let  the  cold  in.  But 
I  am  going  ahead  too  fast. 

"  Having  satisfied  the  governor  of  the  fort  all 
about  myself,  I  inquired  if  they  could  give  mo 
tidings  of  my  family.  What  was  my  satisfaction  to 
find  that  a  party  answering  their  description  were 
encamped  in  winter  quarters  not  more  than  a 
week's  journey  to  the  north-west.  My  friend  the 
Delaware  knew  the  spot,  and  undertook  to  guide 
me  there.  We  spent  two  days  longer  in  the  fort 
to  refresh  ourselves,  and  both  of  us  truly  needed 
rest,  and  then  we  set  out.  He  had  guided  me  so 
far  in  safety,  that  I  felt  the  most  perfect  confidence 
in  his  courage,  judgment,  and  lionesty.  We  got 
new  mocassins  at  the  fort,  and  our  clothes  mended, 
and  our  friends  furnished  us  with  an  ample  supply 
of  provisions.  Though  I  had  been  very  happy  in 
the  fort,  and  very  kindly  treated,  I  felt  as  I  could 
fancy  a  man  would,  just  let  out  of  prison,  when  I 
found  myself  once  more  walking  along  with  my 
faithful  companion  over  the  snow.  Tlie  weather 
was  very  fine,  there  was  no  wind,  and  at  times  in 
the  day  we  found  it  much  too  hot  to  wear  our 
buflfalo-skin  coats.  One  day  with  us  was  much  like 
another,  though,  by  the  by,  we  did  meet  with  some 
few  adventures.     We  fell  in  with  a  fine  old  grizzlj 


166         Dick  Onsloiv  and  the  Red  Skins : 

bear,  whom  we  turned  out  of  his  cave  ;  but  the 
Delaware  shot  him  through  the  head,  and  we  after- 
wards had  some  capital  steaks  out  of  him.  Then 
we  were  pursued  by  a  pack  of  wolves,  but  we 
climbed  a  tree  and  let  them  pass  by  us.  We  were, 
the  Delaware  computed,  about  half  a  day's  journey 
from  the  spot  at  which  we  were  aiming,  when  we 
entered  a  valley,  with  a  high  hill  on  one  side 
of  it,  broken  into  rugged  precipices.  We  had 
advanced  some  way  along  the  valley,  when,  as  we 
happened  to  look  up  at  the  heights  above  us,  we 
saw  a  figure  rapidly  coming  down  toward  it.  He 
was  hunting  some  animal,  we  thought.  He  did  not 
see  his  danger.  We  shouted  to  him,  but  it  was  too 
late  ;  he  did  not  hear  us,  and  over  he  went  down  a 
frightful  precipice.  We  ran  forward,  and  thinking 
he  must  be  killed,  expected  to  see  his  mangled  body 
hanging  to  some  rugged  projection  in  the  rock ;  but 
the  very  precipitous  character  of  the  cliff  had  been 
the  means  of  his  preservation.  He  had  fallen  directly 
into  a  snow-drift,  and  though  a  limb  apparently  was 
broken,  and  he  was  much  hurt,  he  speedily  came  to 
himself.  To  leave  him  where  he  was  would  have 
been  sheer  barbarity  ;  so  we  told  him  that  we  would 
carry  him  to  my  father's  camp,  where  he  would  be 
quickly  cured.  He  thanked  us  much,  and  consented 
willingly  to  do  as  we  advised.  Cutting  some  boughs 
from  the  trees  which  grew  around,  we  speedily 
formed  a  litter,  on  which  we  placed  him.    Carrying 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  167 

him  between  us,  we  approached  the  spot  where  my 
family  were  supposed  to  be  encamped.  From  a  hill 
at  a  little  distance  I  got  a  view  of  it.  My  heart  beat 
quick  at  the  thought  of  seeing  them  all  again.  They 
had  selected  a  rocky  mound  for  the  site  of  their 
encampment,  and  had  surrounded  it  with  a  stoc  kade 
and  ditch,  so  that  it  was  capable  of  resisting  any 
attack  the  Indians  were  likely  to  make  on  it.  There 
was  room  inside,  I  calculated,  not  only  for  their 
own  huts,  but  for  their  cattle  and  waggons,  and  a 
supply  of  fodder  and  wood.  They  had  spared  no 
pains,  I  guessed,  to  make  themselves  secure  and 
comfortable.  The  very  look  of  the  place  convinced 
me  that  my  family  Avere  there.  As  we  drew  near  a 
gate  opened,  and  several  people  came  out.  There 
were,  I  saw,  father  and  mother,  and  sisters,  and  all 
my  brothers  but  Joab.  Then  I  feared,  as  1  found, 
that  brother  Joab  had  been  killed.  I  said  nothing, 
for  I  was  afraid  to  ask  about  him.  They  all  wel- 
comed me  as  one  from  the  dead,  for  they  thought 
that  I  had  been  killed,  and  never  expected  to  hear 
any  thing  of  me  again,  for  they  had  seen  me  fall,  as 
they  had  Joab,  and  lie,  poor  fellow,  liad  been  scalped 
before  their  eyes,  so  they  had  no  hopes  for  him. 
After  they  had  all  done  talking  to  me,  I  told  them 
about  the  young  Red  Skin,  whom  the  Delaware  and 
1  had  brought.  The  women  at  once  took  cliarge  of 
him,  and  doctored  him  in  their  own  kind  way.  In 
the  mean  time  the  Delaware  was  not  forgotten,  and 


168         Dick  Onslow  anJ  the  Red  Skins  : 

everybody  tried  to  show  their  gratitude  to  him  foi 
the  service  he  had  been  to  rae.  It  was  several  days 
before  the  young  Indian  began  to  recover ;  indeed 
I  believe  any  one  but  a  Red  Skin  would  have  been 
killed  with  such  a  fall  as  he  had  had.  When  he  got 
better  he  began  to  talk  to  us,  but  we  could  make 
out  but  little  of  what  he  said.  At  last  I  begged  the 
Delaware  to  come  to  him,  as  he  understood  his  lan- 
guage. After  some  hesitation,  and  a  long  talk  with 
the  Delaware,  he  told  us  that  he  was  the  eldest  son 
of  the  chief  of  tlie  Kioway  tribe ;  that  he  and  his 
people  had  planned  an  attack  on  our  fort,  and  that 
it  was  to  take  place  in  three  days  by  that  time.  He 
said  that  his  people  did  not  know  what  had  become 
of  him,  but  that  they  would  not  abandon  their  plans 
on  account  of  his  loss.  '  Now,'  he  added, '  I  will  go 
to  them,  and  tell  them  all  you  have  done  for  me, 
'and  instead  of  enemies,  they  will  become  your 
friends.'  In  two  days  more  he  was  strong  enough 
to  move,  and  he  insisted  on  setting  out,  saying  that 
he  should  soon  fall  in  with  his  people.  Off  he  went, 
and  we  waited  anxiously  his  return  ;  but  in  case  of 
treachery,  we  put  every  tiling  to  rights  in  the  fort  to 
resist  an  attack.  In  a  few  hours  the  young  chief 
came  back  with  some  twenty  or  more  painted  war- 
riors in  his  train  —  very  formidable  customers  they 
would  have  proved  if  they  had  come  as  enemies. 
Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  when  he  heard 
that  I  was  going  to  set  out  with  my  brothers  to 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  169 

bring  you  assistance,  he  undertook  to  send  twenty 
of  his  people  with  us,  while  he  and  the  remainder 
stopped  in  the  neighborhood  to  guard  our  camp. 
We  lost  no  time  in  getting  ready  ;  I  was  as  fresh  as 
a  lark ;  we  travelled  fast,  and  came  in  time  '  to  do 
the  happy  deed  which  gilds  ipy  humble  name,'  quoth 
Dick.  '  No,  no,'  exclaimed  several  of  the  party 
simultaneously,  '  honest  Obed  Ragget  never  finished 
a  sentence  with  a  quotation  from  a  play,  though  it 
was  writ  by  a  minister.'  '  To  confess  the  truth,  no,' 
said  Dick ;  '  indeed  honest  Obed's  expressions  were 
not  always,  though  highly  graphic,  grammatically 
correct,  so  I  have  given  his  narrative  in  what  is  gen- 
erally considered  the  more  orthodox  vernacular ; 
yet  you  have,  I  own,  thereby  lost  much  of  the  force 
of  his  descriptions,  and  no  little  amusement.'  Obed 
had  scarcely  finished  his  account,  when  from  every 
part  of  the  whole  surrounding  wood  resounded  the 
most  terrific  war-whoops  and  unearthly  shrieks  and 
cries.  Seizing  our  weapons,  we  sprang  from  our 
seats,  and  rushed  to  repel  the  expected  assault." 


u 


170         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 


CHAPTER  X. 

JTie  Red  Skint  attempt  to  alarm  us.  —  Singularly  unsuccestful. —  Th« 
enemy  at  length  commence  the  assault.  —  We  bravely  defend  out 
camp.  —  iSrtOT  discovers  that  they  are  Paicntes  awl  Dacotns.  —  Hit 
device  to  separate  their  forces.  —  Discovers  Noggin  among  tJum 
dressed  as  a  chief.  —  The  enemy  retire.  —  Sam^s  expedition  to  rescue 
Noggin,  which  I  accomjxiny.  —  Our  success.  —  3/r.  and  Mrs.  Nog- 
gin. —  His  magnificent  apjiearance  as  an  Indian  chief  —  We  pusli 
onwards  and  at  length  reach  the  camp  of  our  friends  the  Raggcts, 

The  Red  Skins  knew  that  we  were  on  tlie  watch 
for  them,  and  as  they  were  not  likely  to  take  us  by 
surprise,  they  thought  that  they  could  terrify  us  by 
their  shrieks  and  hullabaloos.  They  did  not  know 
what  we  were  made  of,  or  they  would  not  have 
wasted  their  breath  in  that  way.  Two  of  our 
scouts  came  hurrying  in,  the  other  two  had,  we 
feared,  been  surprised  and  scalped  by  our  enemies. 
We  all  stood  to  our  arms  in  dead  silence,  waiting 
the  expected  attack.  Our  Indian  allies  wanted  to 
reply  to  the  war-whoops  of  our  foes,  but  we  judged 
that  as  they  outnumbered  us,  we  should  be  much 
more  likely  to  awe  them  if  we  remained  in  perfect 
silence.  Again  and  again,  several  times,  those  un- 
earthly shrieks  broke  the  silence  of  the  night.  I 
own  that  they  were  terror-inspiring,  and  I  was  very 
glad  each  time  when  they  ceased.     It  was  nearly 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  171 

dawn  when  once  more  that  hideous  war-whoop  was 
heard,  and  instantaneously  the  snow-clad  ground 
before  us  was  covered  with  the  dark  forms  of  our 
foes,  streaming  out  from  the  forest  and  climbing  up 
the  height  toward  us.     The  Raggets,  Sam  Shorty 
Pipestick,  and  I  took  the  lead  in  directing  the  de- 
fence, and  we  were  soon  joined  by  old  Waggum- 
winne-beg,  who  got  up,  in  spite  of  his  wounds  and 
weakness,  to  give  us  his  assistance.     It  was  evident 
that  our  enemies  had  been  reinforced,  though  it 
was  still  too  dark  to  count  them  with  any  thing  like 
accuracy.     Indeed,  I  don't  exaggerate  when  I  say 
that  our  sight  was  not  a  little   disturbed   by  the 
showers  of  arrows  which  they  sent  among  us.     In 
spite  of  their  numbers,  we  rather  astonished  them 
with  the  warm  reception  provided  for  their  enter- 
tainment.    Old  Short  was  in  his  element ;  calling 
some  ten  of  the  Kioways  round  him,  he  was  here 
and  there  and  on  every  side  of  the  camp  at  the 
same  moment,  firing  very  rapidly  and  never  throw- 
ing a  shot  away.     He  must  have  killed  a  dozen  of 
our  enemies  in  as  many  minutes.    In  about  twenty 
minutes  they  seemed  to  have  had  enough  of  it,  and 
rushed  back  under  shelter  as  rapidly  as  they  had 
come  out  of  it.     The  dawn  appeared.     The  rising 
sun  spread  a  ruddy  glow  over  the  field  of  snow 
already  stained  with  the  blood  of  the  slain.     We 
thought  that  our  enemies  would   retire,   but  ua 
Without  a  moment's  warning,  on  they  rushed  once 


172         Dick  Onsloio  ana  the  Red  Skins  : 

more  up  the  height.  This  time  our  rifles  told  with 
more  certain  eflfect  than  even  before ;  not  a  shot 
was  thrown  away,  and  the  Red  Skins  fell  thickly 
around  us  on  every  side. 

•'  What  are  they  about  now  ?  they  seem  to  have 
some  scheme  in  reserve,"  I  observed  to  Obed. 
Scarcely  had  I  spoken  when  some  who  had  retired, 
again  came  forth,  accompanied  by  a  stout,  sturdy- 
looking  warrior,  who,  however,  did  not  seem  very 
anxious  to  advance.  He  held  a  rifle  in  his  hand, 
which  he  fired  every  now  and  then  as  he  advanced  ; 
but  he  was  very  long  in  loading  it,  and  each  time 
his  bullet  whistled  above  our  lieads.  His  compan- 
ions were  too  intent  on  the  attack  to  observe  this. 
Just  then  we  were  joined  by  old  Sam  Short.  I 
pointed  out  the  warrior  to  him. 

"  Why  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  those  fellows  are  Paw- 
nees, the  very  villians  from  whom  I  escaped,  and 
that  seeming  chief  is  no  other  than  poor  Noggin. 
Tell  your  fellows  not  to  hurt  him,  and  I  will  liave 
a  talk  with  him  before  long.  If  I  can  get  him  to 
draw  off"  the  Pawnees,  we  may  easily  settle  with 
tlie  remainder  of  the  Dacotas,  whom  you  have,  I 
see,  handled  pretty  severely  already."  Saying  this, 
the  old  hunter  disappeared  among  the  tents,  but 
speedily  came  back  rigged  out  in  the  most  fantastic 
fashion,  holding  a  long  staff"  in  his  hand  literally 
covered  with  rags  and  tatters,  which  as  he  held  it 
aloft  streamed  in  the  wind.     We,  meantime,  had 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  ITS 

been  effectually  keeping  the  enemy  at  bay.  "  I 
think  this  will  do  for  the  nonce,"  he  exclaimed  ; 
"  give  them  one  volley  more,  and  then  let  me  see 
what  I  can  do. 

We  followed  his  advice,  and  the  moment  we 
ceased  firing,  while  the  enemy  were  still  skipping 
about  to  avoid  our  shots,  he  rushed  from  among 
us,  crying  out,  "  Noggin,  old  friend,  tell  your  fel- 
lows that  the  mighty  medicine-man  of  all  the  In- 
dians has  come  to  get  them  out  of  a  great  scrape, 
and  that  the  sooner  they  take  themselves  away 
from  this  the  better."  The  Indians,  astonished  at 
his  sudden  appearance,  hung  back,  and  no  one  at- 
tempted to  attack  him,  as  I  fully  expected  they 
would  have  done.  Noggin,  on  hearing  the  voice 
of  his  old  friend,  instantly  called  his  companions 
around  him,  we  meantime  taking  care  to  reserve 
our  fire  for  our  old  enemies  the  Dacotas.  Present- 
ly we  saw  the  Pawnees  drawing  off,  while  the  old 
hunter,  indulging  in  all  sorts  of  fantastic  gestures, 
came  hurrying  back  to  the  camp,  no  one  attempt- 
ing to  stop  him.  I  asked  him  why  he  liad  not 
brought  his  friend  Noggin  with  him.  "  Ah,  he  is 
an  honest  fellow,"  he  answered.  "  He  refused  to 
come  without  Mrs.  Noggin.  The  poor  girl  had 
trusted  to  him,  had  saved  his  life,  and  he  would 
not  desert  her.  I  honor  him  for  it,  but  I  do  not 
despair  of  seeing  him  and  her  yet.  If  he  can 
induce  her  to  come,  he  will  bring  her  as 
16  » 


174  Dir.k  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

soou  as  he  can  make  his  escape  from  her 
tribe.  He  has  no  wish  to  live  the  life  of  a  Red 
Skin  for  the  remainder  of  his  days.  It  is  my  desire, 
and  I  think  it  will  be  his,  to  join  my  fortunes  to 
yours.  From  what  I  hear  you  are  bound  for  Cali- 
fornia, and  I  should  like  to  go  and  try  my  luck  in 
that  country  too.  I  may  be  of  use  to  you,  and  you 
will  afford  me  that  companionship  which  I  begin  to 
feel  the  want  of  in  my  old  age.  I  have  no  fancy 
again  to  run  the  risk  of  being  scalped  or  roasted,  or 
having  to  lie  down  and  die  by  myself  like  a  worn- 
out  old  wolf,  or  other  wild  beast  in  the  desert." 
The  Raggets  and  I  expressed  our  satisfaction  at  the 
thoughts  of  having  so  experienced  a  hunter  as  our 
companion,  and  that  matter  was  settled  off-hand. 
The  Dacotas  had  retired  when  they  saw  the  Pawnees 
drawing  off.  They  probably  tried  to  ascertain  the 
cause  of  this  desertion.  They  made  but  one  more 
very  faint  attack,  and  finding,  as  we  supposed,  that 
their  chance  of  success  was  less  than  ever,  finally 
retired  out  of  sight  into  the  wood.  We  could  not 
restrain  our  Indian  allies  from  rushing  out  to  scalp 
the  slain,  though  we  warned  them  against  surprise, 
and  charged  them  not  to  touch  the  wounded  ;  but 
I  suspect  they  did  not  much  heed  our  words.  They 
came  back  with  fully  thirty  scalps,  saying  that  our 
bullets  had  made  such  sure  work,  that  every  one 
was  killed  outright.  As  the  day  drew  on,  we  were 
more  and  more  convinced  that  our  enemies  had  had 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  175 

enough  of  it.  We  sent  out  our  scouts,  who  felt 
their  way  ca\itiously,  following  their  trails.  The 
chief  body  of  the  Dacotas  had  gone  off  to  the  north 
and  east,  while  the  Pawnees  had  taken  the  direction 
of  the  north-west.  Tiie  latter  had  retired  with  de- 
liberation and  order,  while  the  former  had  made  a 
liurried  retreat.  A  little  later  in  the  day  a  scout 
came  in,  saying  that  the  Pawnees  had  halted  about 
five  miles  off.  "  Then  I  know  the  reason  why," 
observed  Short.  "  Noggin  has  persnaded  them  to 
halt,  and,  depend  on  it,  he  will  try  to  escape  with 
his  wife.  If  some  of  you  would  aid  me,  I  should 
like  to  go  and  meet  him  to  help  him  along."  Obed 
and  I  and  John  Pipestick  agreed  to  accompany  him, 
with  four  of  our  Indian  allies.  As  soon  as  it  was 
dusk  we  set  off  on  our  expedition.  We  crept  cau- 
tiously along  from  tlie  very  first  in  Indian  file,  the 
scout  who  had  discovered  the  trail  leading,  and 
Short  going  next.  Indeed,  the  man  wbo  wishes  to 
keep  the  scalp  on  his  head  cannot  be  too  cautious 
when  in  the  Indian  country,  and  with  enemies  in 
the  neighborhood.  Not  a  word  was  spoken,  scarcely 
a  sound  was  heard,  while  we  kept  our  rifles  trailing 
by  our  sides,  ready  for  use  at  a  moment's  notice. 
We  could  not  tell,  of  course,  whether  the  Dacotas 
or  Pawnees  might  not  have  taken  it  into  their  heads 
to  come  back  and  attack  us,  or,  at  all  events,  might 
not  have  left  some  scouts  to  watch  our  proceedings. 
We  went  on  thus,  till  the  sounds  of  drums  beating, 


176         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

bones  rattling,  keeping  time  to  the  voices  of  human 
beings,  creating  a  most  unpleasant  sort  of  music,/ 
warned  us  that  we  were  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Pawnee  camp.  It  was  difficult  to  say  when  Noggin 
might  take  the  opportunity  of  slipping  away.  It 
might  be  at  once,  while  all  the  noise  was  going  for- 
ward, or  it  might  not  be  till  the  inhabitants  of  the 
camp  were  asleep.  So  we  all  sat  down  and  watched 
in  silence. 

It  was  agreed  that  Short  should  go  forward  and 
meet  his  friend,  so  as  not  to  alarm  him.  I  must 
own  that  I  had  fallen  asleep,  and  was  dreaming  of 
old  England  and  my  comfortable  arm-chair,  when  1 
was  awoke  by  finding  my  companions  rising  and  be- 
ginning to  move  on  at  a  rapid  rate,  —  I  was  so 
sleepy  that  I  could  not  tell  where.  On  we  went,  no 
one  speaking,  following  each  other  as  before,  so  1 
judged  that  it  would  be  wise  not  to  speak  either. 

It  was  still  very  dark,  all  I  could  do  was  to  see 
the  person  immediately  preceding  me.  On,  on  we 
went :  at  last  we  began  to  go  up  hill,  and  I  found 
that  we  were  approaching  our  own  camp.  The 
light  of  our  fires  was  shining  brightly  from  it. 
Obed  answered  with  a  cheerful  voice  to  the  chal- 
lenge of  our  sentinels,  and  as  we  entered  our 
stockade  I  found,  for  the  first  time,  that  our  party 
was  increased  by  two  persons.  One  was  habited 
in  the  full  costume  of  a  Red  Skin  chief,  and  a  big 
commanding-looking  fellow  he  was  ;  the  other  was 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  177 

an  Indian  squaw  ;  she  was  a  fine,  but  modest  girl, 
and  she  seemed  to  shrink  back  with  true  feminine 
timidity  from  the  gaze  of  so  many  strangers.  To 
my  surprise,  I  found  that  the  handsome  chief,  who 
decidedly  would  have  created  a  great  sensation  in 
any  London  drawing-room,  and,  perhaps,  have  won 
the  hearts  of  half-a-dozen  young  ladies,  and  per- 
suaded them  to  settle  down  as  the  mistress  of  his 
faithful  retainers  in  his  extensive  territories  in  the 
Far  West,  was  no  other  than  Tom  Noggin,  whose 
adventures  I  had  just  been  hearing.  I  do  not  know 
what  sort  of  an  orator  Tom  might  have  made  as 
an  Indian,  his  English  vernacular  was  not  of  the 
choicest.  "  I  wish  some  on  you  chaps  would  get 
this  young  woman  of  mine  stowed  away  with  some 
of  her  own  kind  among  the  Indians,  they'll  know 
her,  and  comfort  her  a  bit,  poor  thing,"  quoth 
Tom.  The  words  and  tone  were  really  kind  and 
kindly  meant,  but  they  sounded  odd  as  coming 
from  the  lips  of  a  full-fledged  Red  Skin  warrior. 
Noggin  at  once  fell  into  old  Short's  plan,  and 
having  all  laid  down  to  take  some  rest,  we  packed 
up  our  traps,  and  were  once  more  on  the  move. 
We  accompanied  the  kind-hearted  Ottoes  three 
days  further  on  their  road,  till  they  considered 
themselves  out  of  the  reach  of  their  enemies.  Had 
1  pressed  John  Pipestick,  I  believe  he  would  have 
brought  his  wives  and  joined  our  party  ;  but  I  did 
not  altogether  admire  the  young  gentleman's  no- 


178  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skim : 

tioiis  on  things  in  general,  so  I  kept  silent  on  the 
matter.  I  had  an  afifectionate  parting  from  old 
Waggum-winne-beg,  who  once  more  pressed  his 
beautiful  Firefly  on  me  ;  but  my  heart  was  proof 
against  even  lier  brilliant  attractions.  The  young 
lady  pouted  a  little  when  I  wished  her  good  by, 
and,  I  have  no  doubt,  thought  me  a  man  of  very 
bad  taste.  Once  more  our  course  was  turned 
toward  the  west.  With  a  good  supply  of  ammu- 
nition, little  baggage,  and  forming  as  we  did  a 
band  of  practised  hunters  and  backwoodsmen, 
together  with  a  body  of  faithful  allies,  we  had  no 
fear  as  to  the  result  of  an  attack  which  any  Indians 
might  venture  to  make  on  us,  provided  we  exer- 
cised all  necessary  precaution  in  our  advance. 
More  than  once  we  were  aware  that  Indians  were 
on  our  trail,  or  hovering  round  our  camp  ;  but 
when  they  ascertained  the  state  of  preparation  we 
were  in,  being  assured  that  they  would  have  to 
buy  victory,  if  they  got  it  at  all,  at  a  very  dear 
rate,  they  thought  it  wiser  not  to  attack  us.  Wo 
expected  to  have  been  pursued  by  the  Pawnees, 
but  for  some  reason  or  other  they  did  not  seem 
to  wish  to  get  back  Noggin  or  his  wife.  They 
followed  us,  however,  and  ten  days  afterwards  two 
of  them  made  their  appearance  in  our  camp.  We 
watched  them  narrowly,  for  they  are  thievish  fel- 
lows, and  would  have  stolen  any  thing  they  could 
have  laid  hands  on.     They  came,  they  said,  to  bring 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  179 

a  message  from  their  chief  to  his  daughter,  which, 
as  far  as  we  could  make  out,  was  equivalent  to  his 
blessing  ;  telling  her  at  the  same  time,  that,  as  she 
had  chosen  to  marry  a  white  man,  she  must  follow 
his  fortunes  for  the  future,  and  not  look  to  the  red 
men  for  support.  The  young  lady  replied  that  she 
was  perfectly  contented  with  her  choice,  and  had 
no  intention  of  going  home  again.  Sliort  all  tlie 
time  kept  out  of  sight  of  the  Pawnees,  for  he 
thought  his  appearance  would  not  fail  to  enrage 
them :  he  advised  us,  however,  to  follow  their  trail 
as  they  went  away,  to  ascertain  in  what  direction 
they  were  going,  and  to  assure  ourselves  that  tliey 
were  not  plotting  some  piece  of  treachery.  We 
found,  however,  that  they  went  right  away  to  the 
north-east,  and  were  not  likely  to  trouble  us  any 
more.  We  travelled  steadily  on,  making  good 
twenty  miles  a  day  at  least. 

The  instant  we  arrived  at  a  wood  or  other  fit 
place  for  camping,  some  collected  wood  and  lighted 
fires,  others  tore  down  strips  of  bark  and  branches 
of  trees  to  form  lean-tos  or  wigwams,  while  the 
sportsmen  ranged  round  to  look  out  for  game,  and 
die  scouts  explored  the  neighborhood  to  ascertain 
that  no  enemies  were  lurking  near.  Mrs.  Noggin 
made  herself  very  useful  in  cooking  our  provisions, 
and  her  husband  and  Short  helped  her.  The  latter 
had  not  yet  recovered  from  his  long  run  and  the 
exertions   he   had   made   to   free   himself,   and  i* 


180         Dick  Onslovj  and  the  Red  Skins  • 

seemed  wonderful  that  he  should  be  able  to  support 
the  fatigue  of  travelling  as  well  as  he  did.  Alto- 
gether, we  led  a  very  pleasant  life  ;  but  I  was  not 
sorry,  I  own,  to  see  in  the  distance  the  stockade  in 
wliich  my  old  friends  the  Raggets  and  two  or  three 
other  families,  who  had  associated  themselves  with 
them  had  passed  the  winter.  We  arrived  just  in 
time  before  the  frost  broke  up.  After  that,  till  the 
warm  dry  weather  began,  travelling  would  have  been 
very  difficult.  Our  friends  were  very  glad  to  see 
us  all  back  again  safe,  and  gave  a  hearty  welcome 
to  old  Short  and  to  Noggin  and  his  wife.  They 
were  not  people  to  turn  up  their  noses  at  a  Red 
Skin.  With  all  due  respect  to  my  white  friends, 
Mrs.  Noggin  appeared  to  great  advantage  along- 
side them.  She  was  a  very  well-mannered,  amiable, 
kind,  sweet  young  woman,  and  tliough  some  of  her 
ways  were  not  just  quite  what  a  refined  English- 
man would  admire,  I  do  not  think  friend  Noggin 
objected  to  them,  and  they  seemed  as  happy  as  pos- 
sible. We  had  altogether  not  an  impleasant  time 
in  the  stockade,  and  we  had  plenty  of  work  in  re- 
pairing the  waggons  and  tents,  and  in  making  other 
preparations  for  our  further  progress  through  the 
wild  passes  of  the  Snowy  Mountains.  The  travel- 
ling, barring  the  attacks  from  the  Red  Skins,  had 
hitherto  been  easy ;  we  were  now  to  enter  on  a 
region  wild  and  rugged  in  the  extreme,  where  we 
should    liave   to   encou^iter   dangers    innumerable 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  181 

from  grizzly  bears,  avalanches,  mountain  torrents, 
and  steep  precipices  added  to  those  we  had  already 
gone  through.  However,  their  contemplation  in 
no  way  daunted  any  of  our  party.  From  old  Mr. 
Ragget's  forethought  and  judgment,  he  had  amply 
supplied  his  camp  with  provisions  before  the  winter 
set  in,  and  the  same  qualities  he  was  now  exerting 
in  making  preparations  for  our  journey.  We  thus 
avoided  many  of  the  disasters  and  miseries  from 
which  so  many  parties  of  emigrants  suffered  pro- 
ceeding over  the  same  route  in  following  years. 


182  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Our  toirUer  encampmenL  —  Our  huts.  —  How  we  spent  ow  time.  —  A 
nigh !  alarm. —  ]^itfrom  a  grizzly.  —  My  encounter  icith  the  same. — 
Short  saves  me.  —  TVe  start  in  search  of  Mrs.  Bruin.  —  We  enter  the 
fastnesses  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  —  Short's  baUle  with  tJie  bear.  — 
His  perilous  situation.  —  Still  in  danger.  —  We  go  round  to  assist 
him.  —  Tlie  snow  moves,  though  the  bear  does  not,  and  we  find  ourselves 
on  the  top  of  an  avalanche.  —  A  most  unpleasant  mode  of  locomotion. 

I  CANNOT  say  that  I  looked  forward  with  any  great 
degree  of  satisfaction  to  the  idea  of  spending  the 
remaining  months  of  the  winter,  without  books  or 
any  other  means  of  intellectual  enjoyment,  in  the 
encampment  at  the  foot  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
The  Raggets  were  very  worthy  people,  and  kind  and 
considerate  in  every  way ;  but  some  of  our  other 
companions  were  somew^hat  rough  and  uncouth,  and 
none  of  them  were  addicted  to  literary  pursuits,  so 
that  there  were  not  six  readable  volumes  of  any  sort 
or  description  to  be  found  among  all  the  parly.  At 
times  I  felt  quite  a  craving  for  books,  when  my  fin- 
gers grew  weary  mending  harness,  or  manufacturing 
snow-shoes  or  mocassins  ;  when  conversation,  which 
was  never  very  brisk,  altogether  flagged.  Still  I 
had  one  great  resource,  and  that  was  my  note  book, 
though  what  I  was  putting  into  it  my  companions 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  IS'6 

were  very  much  puzzled  to  guess.  My  friends  at 
home  will  not  have  much  difficulty  in  guessing  what 
I  was  writing  about.  Take  it  all  in  all,  however, 
we  spent  a  very  pleasant  time  up  among  the  snow, 
though  it  was  brought  to  a  conclusion  rather  sooner 
than  we  expected.  We  had  plenty  of  provisions ; 
we  had  made  ourselves  tolerably  snug ;  our  numer- 
ous well-armed  party  might  set  any  prowling  Red 
Skins  at  defiance ;  and,  above  all  things,  we  had 
laid  in  such  a  fine  stock  of  good  humor  and  good 
nature,  that  we  had  nothing  like  a  quarrel  or  an  an- 
gry dispute  during  the  whole  of  the  time.  We  also 
cut  out  plenty  of  employment  for  ourselves,  and  in 
spite  of  the  cold,  were  never  long  sliut  up  in  our 
huts  without  making  an  excursion  in  one  direction 
or  another.  Sam  Short,  Obed,  and  I,  with  the  other 
Raggets,  slept  in  one  hut  by  ourselves.  It  was  the 
outer  hut  of  all,  and  forming  part  of  it  was  our 
principal  store,  in  which  the  greater  portion  of  our 
provisions  were  kept.  Here  were  piled  up  casks  of 
flour,  and  sugar,  and  salted  meats,  and  fish,  and 
many  other  necessary  articles.  We  none  of  us  were 
much  addicted  to  lying  long  in  bed  ;  but  when  we 
did  turn  in,  we  slept  sounder  than,  1  am  sure,  any 
tops  ever  did.  We  might  generally  have  all  snored 
as  loud  as  a  dozen  bears  growling  away  in  concert, 
without  in  the  slightest  degree  disturbing  each 
other.  One  night,  however,  a  piece  of  salt  tongue 
bad  stuck  somewhere  on  its  downward  passage,  or 


1 84  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

Mrs.  Ragget  had  given  me  too  strong  a  bowl  of 
green  tea,  as  a  special  mark  of  her  favor,  or  from 
some  other  unaccountable  cause,  I  could  not  for 
some  time  get  to  sleep.  I  found  out  that  Sam  Short 
did  snore,  and  most  lustily  and  variously  too,  with 
notes  resembling  what  one  might  fancy  a  broken- 
winded  bagpipe  with  a  bad  influenza  would  give 
forth  more  than  any  other  sounds.  My  other  friends 
were  not  much  behind  him  in  the  loudness  of  their 
snores,  though  rather  less  varied  and  musical.  At 
length,  in  spite  of  the  delicious  concert,  I  did  man- 
age, by  dint  of  counting  and  repeating  my  own 
name  over  and  over  again,  and  other  similar  devices, 
to  get  into  a  sort  of  doze.  Still,  though  I  was  asleep, 
I  could  hear  all  the  noises  as  clearly  as  before,  only 
I  forgot  where  I  was,  and  a  variety  of  strange  and 
ever-changing  notions  came  into  my  head. 

I  thought  that  I  was  at  sea,  when  a  violent  storm 
arose,  and  that  a  huge  whale  got  hold  of  the  vessel, 
and  towed  her  on  at  a  terrific  rate,  spouting  away 
and  roaring  most  furiously.  Suddenly  there  was  a 
crash,  and  I  found  that  the  whale  had  dragged  us 
against  a  rock,  and  ran  itself  on  shore.  There  it 
lay  floundering  away,  till  suddenly  it  gave  a  curi- 
ous kick  with  its  tail,  and  sprung  back  again  righ 
over  our  heads  into  deep  water.  I  never  saw  a 
whale,  or  indeed  any  creature  for  that  matter,  give 
guch  a  leap.  I  had  very  serious  doubts,  however, 
whether  it  was  a  real  whale  after  all.     As  it  went 


An  Adventure  m  the  Far  West.  185 

off  skimming  over  the  sea,  it  looked  back  with  sach 
a  wicked  expression  in  its  little  twinkling  eye,  as 
much  as  to  say,  "  There,  I've  done  for  you.  I  hope 
you  may  like  it ;  "  at  the  same  time  snorting  and 
blowing  louder  than  ever,  in  a  way  most  unusual, 
at  all  events  for  whales,  which,  except  when  in  a 
flurry,  are  generally  quiet,  well-behaved  creatures. 
The  boiling  sea  soon  knocked  the  vessel  to  pieces, 
and  the  crash  of  the  wreck  made  me  start  up  to 
swim  for  my  life.  There  really  had  been  a  crash, 
though  not  so  loud  as  I  supposed,  for  it  had  not 
awakened  the  rest  of  the  sleepers.  The  noise  still 
continued,  as  if  some  one  was  breaking  into  the  hut 
or  store,  and  turning  over  the  articles  piled  up  in  it. 
I  jumped  into  my  clothes,  for  with  the  thermometer 
twenty  degrees  below  zero,  it  is  not  pleasant  to  run 
out  without  some  covering,  and  calling  up  my  com- 
panions, seized  my  rifle  and  axe,  ever  ready  at 
hand,  and  rushed  out  to  ascertain  what  was  the 
matter.  I  fully  believed  that  the  camp  was  at- 
tacked by  Red  Skins,  and  that  we  were  about  to 
liave  a  desperate  affray.  The  door  of  the  store  was 
close  to  that  of  our  sleeping  hut,  but  it  was  closed 
of  course  at  night.  I  opened  it  and  sprang  in  with 
my  axe,  ready  to  strike,  hoping  by  the  suddenness 
of  my  attack  to  scare  the  Indians,  and  prevent 
them  from  defending  themselves.  The  moon  was 
shining  with  a  splendor  which  she  never  exhibits 
througli  the  denser  atmosphere  of  merrie  England, 

16* 


186  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skim. 

and  she  was  just  then  casting  her  beams  tlirough 
the  open  doorway.  There  was  a  window  in  the 
hut  which  had  been  boarded  up,  but  the  boards  had 
been  torn  away,  ai^d  a  glistening  sheet  of  snow  was 
seen  through  it.  Thus  there  was  enougli  light  in 
the  shed  to  render  a  lantern  unnecessary.  I  started 
back  ;  for,  instead  of  the  party  of  Red  Skins  I  ex- 
pected to  see,  my  eyes  fell  on  a  huge  grizzly  bear, 
who  was  busily  rolling  the  casks  about,  in  a  vain 
attempt  to  get  at  their  contents.  He  was  a  ferocious- 
looking  monster,  gaunt  and  hairy,  and  had  evi- 
dently been  driven  out  to  forage  in  our  camp  by  the 
pangs  of  hunger.  When  he  saw  me  he  gave  forth 
a  fierce  growl  of  defiance,  and  instead  of  decamp- 
ing, as  I  expected  he  would,  he  made  a  desperate 
rush  at  me.  I  stepped  back  and  lifted  my  axe, 
intending  to  make  its  sharp  edge  fall  with  all  my 
strength  on  his  head  ;  but  he  was  too  quick  for  me, 
and  seizing  my  arm,  in  another  instant  the  savage 
brute  had  me  fast  locked  in  his  deadly  embrace. 
Be  would  have  killed  me  in  an  instant,  I  verily  be- 
(ieve,  had  I  not  as  he  caught  me,  shoved  the  head 
of  the  axe  into  his  open  mouth,  where  it  served  the 
purpose  of  a  gag,  and  considerably  incommoded 
him.  It  may  be  supposed  that  I  sung  out  pretty 
lustily  at  the  same  time  for  help.  As  to  doing  any 
thing  for  myself,  I  found  that  was  impossible,  be- 
yond the  holding  the  axe  with  all  my  might  in  the 
bear's  mouth.  I  felt  certain  that  the  moment  it 
got  out  would  be  my  last. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  187 

"Help!  help!  Obed,  Short!  Quick,  quick!  — a 
huge  grizzly  bear  has  got  me,"  I  shouted. 

The  monster  seemed  to  comprehend  the  meaning 
.)f  my  cries ;  for  he  made  off  with  me  through  the 
aperture  by  which  he  had  entered,  carrying  me 
. I  long  as  easily  as  if  I  was  an  infant  in  arms.  As 
ho  made  off  through  the  window,  my  companions, 
whose  responding  shouts  I  had  just  before  heard, 
m:ide  their  appearance  at  the  door.  It  would  have 
been  easy  for  them  to  shoot  the  beast,  but  in  doing 
so  they  would  very  likely  have  hit  me,  so  I  begged 
that  they  would  not  make  the  attempt.  They 
therefore  followed  the  bear  and  me  with  their  glit- 
tering axes  in  hand.  If  my  weiglit  did  not  prove 
much  of  a  hinderance  to  him,  my  axe  at  all  events 
did,  and  they  were  not  long  in  overtaking  us.  A 
bear's  winter  coat  is  almost  as  impervious  as  a  suit 
of  armor,  and  for  some  time,  though  they  hacked 
away  at  him  very  lustily,  their  axes  had  but  little 
effect.  At  length,  Short,  who  had  his  rifle  loaded 
in  his  hand,  and  was  ever  as  cool  as  a  snow  ball, 
which,  I  conceive,  is  cooler  than  a  cucumber,  man- 
aged to  get  ahead  of  the  bearish  marauder,  and 
looking  him  full  in  the  face  levelled  his  weapon. 

"  Shall  I  fire,  Dick  ?  "  he  asked.  "  I  know  that 
[  can  hit  him." 

"  Yes,  yes ;  fire,"  I  grunted  out  as  well  as  I 
could ;  for  the  brute,  fearing  that  he  was  going  tc 
lose  me,  began  to  give  me  some  unpleasantly  strong 


188         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

hugs.  I  was  afraid  also  that  should  my  strength 
fail  me  he  might  get  the  axe  out  of  his  mouth, 
when  he  would  soon  have  made  mince-meat  of  my 
nose 

"  I'll  hit  his  right  eye,  then,"  cried  Short. 

"  Fire,"  I  cried.  There  was  the  crack  of  his 
rifle,  a  loud  roar,  and  I  found  myself  well  bespat- 
tered with  bear's  grease,  rolling  over  and  over  in 
the  snow ;  but  at  length  Bruin  turned  on  his  back, 
opened  his  claws,  and  to  my  great  delight  I  found 
myself  free.  On  jumping  out  of  bed  I  had  slipped 
on  my  thick  bufialo-skin  coat,  which  fastened  round 
the  waist  with  a  thong,  and  this  had  much  pre- 
served me,  or  I  should  have  been  mangled  terribly. 
As  it  was,  I  could  scarcely  rise  to  get  clear  of  the 
bear ;  and  if  my  friends  had  not  come  to  my  as- 
sistance I  could  not  have  crawled  home.  Bruin 
was  dead  and  fit  for  smoking.  While  Obed  helped 
me  along,  the  rest  dragged  him  to  the  camp,  where 
we  found  all  the  rest  of  the  men  afoot  to  ascertain 
what  was  the  matter.  I  went  to  bed  feeling  very 
much  bruised  and  knocked  about,  but  by  rubbing 
myself  over  plentifully  with  grease,  I  was  next 
morning  tolerably  limp  and  pliable.  After  break- 
fast we  cut  up  the  bear,  but  as  may  be  supposed  he 
was  in  very  bad  condition,  nearly  all  sinews  and 
bones,  though  when  in  good  condition  he  could  not 
have  weighed  less  than  eight  hundred  pounds.  We, 
however,  managed  to  get  some  ham  and  a  few 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  189 

steaks  out  of  him,  and  a  small  supply  of  fat,  \\hile 
his  skin  afforded  a  very  acceptable  addition  to  our 
bed  coverings.  Just  as  the  operation  was  con- 
cluded, Short,  who  had  gone  out,  came  back,  say- 
ing, tliat  a  little  snow  liaving  fallen  in  the  first  part 
of  the  night  he  could  make  out  the  bear's  trail. 

"  If  we  follow  it  up,  we  may  come  upon  Mrs. 
Bear's  lodgings,  and  find  some  young  ones  at  home. 
Who's  for  the  game  ?  "  he  exclaimed.  The  project 
suited  our  tastes,  and  the  young  Raggets  and  I, 
with  two  or  three  others,  declared  ourselves  ready 
to  set  out  forthwith.  Off  we  set  with  a  little  pem- 
mican  and  bread  in  our  pockets,  and  our  rifles  and 
long  poles  in  our  hands,  fully  expecting  some  good 
sport.  Short  said  that  the  she-bears  and  cubs  are 
supposed  to  liybernate ;  but  that  no  doubt  we 
should  be  able  to  poke  them  out  of  their  holes. 
We  soon  left  the  plain,  when  the  trail  led  us  up 
among  the  rugged  defiles  of  the  mountains.  I 
confess  tliat  I  could  not  have  distinguished  the 
marks  of  the  bear's  feet  in  the  snow  ;  but  Short's 
more  practised  eye  did  so,  and  he  every  now  and 
then  pointed  them  out  to  me,  so  that  we  knew  we 
were  on  the  right  track.  Our  undertaking  was  a 
very  hazardous  one.  There  is  not  a  more  ferocious, 
at  the  same  time  powerful  and  cunning,  monster 
among  all  the  wild  beasts  than  the  grizzly  bear. 
When  he  meets  a  man,  he  has  something  to  fight 
for  besides  the  honor  of  victory ;  for  he  eats  him 


190  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

for  his  dinner  or  supper  as  the  case  may  be.  Ao 
we  advanced,  we  found  ourselves  in  a  scene  of  al- 
most terrific  wildness.  Dark  rocks  rising  out  of 
the  snow  towered  above  our  heads,  so  as  to  com- 
pletely shut  us  in,  while  mountain  ranges  ap- 
>eared  one  beyond  the  other,  showing  us  the  eleva- 
tion we  had  attained.  The  old  grizzly  had  certain- 
ly chosen  a  very  inaccessible  post  for  his  domicile. 
The  cold  was  very  intense,  though  the  exercise  we 
were  performing  kept  our  blood  in  circulation.  I 
own  that  I  felt  very  much  inclined  to  turn  back, 
for  the  hug  the  old  bear  had  given  me  had  mado 
my  bones  ache,  and  I  doubted,  as  the  French  say, 
*'  whether  the  game  was  worth  the  candle ; "  in 
other  words,  whether  it  was  worth  while  run- 
ning so  great  a  risk  as  we  were  doing,  and  getting 
so  cold  and  enduring  so  much  fatigue  merely  for 
the  sake  of  killing  an  old  slie-bear.  Howev- 
er, I  said  nothing,  as  I  knew  that  ray  companions 
would  not  enter  into  my  views  of  the  matter.  On 
we  plunged  further  and  further  into  the  wild  re- 
cesses of  the  mountains,  till  Short  made  some  re- 
marks which  led  us  to  suspect  that  even  he  began 
to  doubt  whether  we  should  find  the  bear  after  all. 

*'  Well,  Sam,  but  where's  the  trail  ?  "  asked 
Obed,  looking  round. 

"  The  trail,  boy  ;  why,  that's  just  gone  and  lost 
itself  long  ago,"  answered  Sam,  with  a  quizzical 
look  on  his  dried-up  countenance. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  191 

"  If  the  trail  has  lost  itself,  don't  let  us  go  and 
follow  its  example,"  remarked  Elihu  Ragget,  laugh- 
ing. "  However,  I  vote  we  sit  down  and  have 
some  dinner,  while  we  agree  what's  next  to  be  dene. 

His  proposal  met  with  universal  assent.  We  ac- 
cordingly all  sat  down  on  the  snow  in  the  most 
sheltered  spot  we  could  find  and  opened  our  store 
of  provisions,  but  Sam  Short  very  quickly  jumped 
up,  and  taking  his  share  in  his  hand  said  he  would 
go  and  explore  a  little  ahead  while  we  finished  our 
repast.  We  were  none  of  us  sorry  to  rest ;  but 
before  we  had  quite  finished  our  frugal  meal,  a 
loud  shout  was  borne  down  the  glen  to  our  ears. 
We  had  little  doubt  that  it  was  Sam  calling  to  us. 
We  seized  our  rifles  and  rushed  on.  We  had  not 
gone  far  before  we  saw  him  standing  in  front  of  a 
large  rock,  and  in  the  rock  there  was  a  cavern,  and 
at  the  mouth  of  the  cavern  there  appeared  a  huge 
she  grizzly  bear  rubbing  her  eyes,  Elihix  declared, 
as  if  just  awoke  out  of  her  winter's  sleep.  I 
rather  think  she  was  licking  her  lips  at  the  thoughts 
of  the  repast  she  was  going  to  make  off  Sam  Short. 
She  would  have  found  him  a  tough  morsel  I  sus- 
pect. Why  she  did  not  at  first  rush  on  and  try  to 
gobble  up  our  friend  I  could  not  tell,  till  Elihu  ob- 
served that  she  probably  had  her  cubs  inside  the 
cave,  and  that  she  was  guarding  them.  Our  ap- 
pearance, however,  instead  of  daunting  her  in- 
creased her  rag6,  and  with  a  savage  roar  she  be- 


102  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Sluns : 

gan  to  waddle  toward  Short.  He  retreated  slow- 
ly. We  sang  out  to  him  to  give  him  confidence. 
He  had  before  not  thought  it  prudent  to  fire,  lest, 
as  was  very  likely,  his  shots  should  not  kill  the 
bear ;  but  when  he  heard  our  voices,  he  lifted  his 
rifle  and  fired.  I  thought  that  the  ball  had  gone 
through  her  head ;  but  I  suppose  that  it  did  not, 
because  on  she  came  at  Poor  Sam  faster  than  ever. 
Near  the  cavern  was  a  precipice,  with  a  glen  or 
gully  below  it.  The  precipice  did  not  go  sheer 
down,  but  there  were  several  ledges  on  the  way 
covered  with  snow,  while  the  bottom  of  the  glen  was 
filled  with  snow,  how  deep  it  would  have  been  diffi- 
cult to  ascertain.  As  we  drew  nearer,  we  discovered, 
to  our  dismay,  that  this  glen  ran  up  between  where 
we  then  stood  and  the  cavern,  to  get  to  which  Short 
had  made  a  considerable  circuit,  though  his  keen 
eye  had  detected  it  from  the  hill  on  which  we  were. 
How  to  render  him  the  most  effectual  assistance 
was  now  the  difficulty.  While  some  ran  round, 
Obed  and  I  went  to  the  edge  of  the  glen  to  fire  at 
the  bear  across  it.  As  the  bear  advanced,  Short 
sprang  back  and  seized  the  barrel  of  his  rifle  to  use 
it  as  a  club.  A  walking-cane  would  have  been  of 
about  as  much  use  to  him.  Still  he  wielded  it  gal- 
lantly, and  gave  the  bear  an  ugly  knock  on  the  nose. 
This  naturally  enraged  Mrs.  Bruin,  and  grasping 
the  fire-arm  she  pressed  on.  Poor  Sam  !  One  of 
three  dreadful  deaths  seemed  prepared   for  him, 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  193 

either  to  be  torn  by  the  bear  or  to  be  dashed  to 
pieces  down  the  precipice,  with  the  very  great 
cliance  of  being  shot  by  iis,  his  friends,  should  we 
attempt  to  fire  at  the  bear.  He- dared  not  look  back 
to  see  where  he  was  going,  lest  the  bear  should  seize 
him.  He  felt  his  left  foot  over  the  edge  of  the  preci- 
pice. "  Fire,  fire ! "  he  shouted,  dropping  on  his 
knees  almost  under  the  bear.  Mrs.  Bruin  had  sense 
enough  to  know  that  the  consequence  of  a  fall  to 
her  wouy  be  very  unpleasant,  and  slie  was  as  un- 
willing as  Sam  to  fall  into  the  ravine.  She  there- 
fore instinctively  drew  back.  That  instant  one  ball 
entered  her  head,  and  another  her  shoulder.  The 
former,  from  my  rifle,  staggered  her.  It  prevented 
her  from  seizing  Short  with  her  teeth ;  but  what  was 
our  terror  to  see  the  snow  give  way  under  our  com- 
panion's feet,  and  to  all  appearance  inevitable  de- 
struction awaiting  him.  He  struggled  violently  to 
save  himself,  and  just  as  the  greater  part  of  his  body 
was  over  he  caught  hold  of  one  of  the  hind  paws  of 
the  bear,  who  had  fallen  on  her  back,  and  lay  kick- 
ing furiously  in  an  attempt  to  rise.  Sam,  however, 
held  on  with  all  his  might.  It  seemed  his  only 
chance  of  safety.  I  was  afraid  lest  the  bear  in  her 
struggles  should  slip  over  also.  Neither  Obed  nor  I 
had  been  idle  while  watching  the  scene.  We  both 
loaded  our  rifles,  and  now  stood  ready  once  more  ta 
fire.  By  moving  a  little  on  one  side,  we  saw  that 
we  could  get  a  good  shot  at  her  without  hitting  Short. 

17 


194  Dick  On.  hw  and  the  Red  Skins : 

Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost.  Running  on  I  fired, 
Obed  followed  my  example.  The  bear's  struggles 
grew  less  violent,  and  Sam  began  to  try  and  haul 
himself  up  by  her  leg.  It  was  a  dangerous  proceed- 
ing ;  there  being  an  inclined  plane  at  the  edge,  his 
weight  appeared  to  move  the  body  of  the  bear  on. 
Slie  could  not  rise,  but  she  turned  round  and  dug 
her  sharp  claws  into  the  snow  to  save  herself.  Now, 
instead  of  wishing  her  to  die,  we  were  anxious  that 
she  might  survive  till  the  rest  of  the  party  could  gel 
up  to  her.  Her  growls  became  more  and  more  feeble. 
She  could  scarcely  hold  on  another  minute.  Poor 
Sam  !  We  trembled  for  his  fate.  We  shouted  to 
the  rest  of  the  party  to  hasten  on.  Tiiey  had  had  a 
difficult  place  to  cross  in  single  file  at  the  head  of 
the  gully.  Now  they  came  on,  hurrying  over  the 
snow.  The  bear  gave  two  or  three  convulsive  strug- 
gles. I  wished  that  I  could  have  leaped  across  the 
chasm  to  poor  Sam's  help.  I  thought  that  the  bear 
was  slipping  down  again.  If  she  had  got  any  way 
on  her,  as  sailors  say,  it  was  evident  that  the  united 
strength  of  the  party  could  not  stop  her.  They 
sprang  on,  and  just  as  I  felt  sure  the  bear  would  have 
sli}>ped  over  the  precipice,  they  seized  lier  by  the 
fore  paws.  She  was  not  dead,  however,  for  in 
return  for  the  act  of  kindness  she  made  some  des- 
perate attempts  to  bite  tliera. 

"  Haul  away,  haul  away !  "  sang  out  S^m,  and 
they  did  haul  with  all  their  might.     Though  they 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  195 

could  not  move  the  bear,  they  prevented  her  from 
slipping  down.  She  gave  several  severe  kicks  with 
her  hind  foot.  Sam  clung  on  to  it,  and  by  the  most 
violent  efforts  managed  to  drag  himself  up  by  her 
shaggy  coat  till  two  of  the  party  caught  hold  of  his 
collar,  and  hauled  away  till  they  got  him  up  away 
from  the  edge  and  placed  him  in  rather  a  safer  posi- 
tion, but  still  not  one  free  from  danger.  For  the 
first  time  for  some  minutes  I  breathed  freely,  and 
as  we  could  do  no  more  where  we  were,  Obed  and 
I  hurried  round  to  help  the  rest.  When  we  arrived 
the  bear  had  received  her  quietus,  but  it  was  aston- 
ishing how  many  shot  and  what  terrific  blows  she 
had  received  before  she  was  killed.  We  were  con- 
gratulating ourselves  on  the  additional  supply  of 
hams  and  steaks  she  would  afford  us,  when  a  crack 
appeared  in  the  snow  just  below  our  feet,  and  to  our 
horror  we  found  that  the  whole  mass,  carrying  us 
and  the  carcass  of  the  bear  with  it,  was  slipping  off 
over  the  precipice ! 


196  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skim  : 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Wtftel  as  if  ice  were  going  ocer  the  falls  of  Niagara.  —  Smothered  bfi 
mow.  —  We  appear  by  degrees.  —  Obed  missing.  —  We  give  him  a 
warm  bath  inside  the  bear.  —  Our  dangerous  predicament.  —  How  to 
get  out  of  the  ravine.  —  Sam  appears  above  us.  —  We  climb  out  teith 
no  little  difficulty.  —  The  bear''s  cave.  —  Having  had  enough  bear 
hunting  we  return  home.  —  Find  a  native  visitor,  who  infoiins  us  that 
we  may  expect  soon  an  attack  from  aii  overwhelming  force  of  Red 
Slant. 

We  were  all  standing  round  the  carcass  of  the 
huge  she-bear,  when  it  and  the  surrounding  mass 
of  snow  began  perceptibly  to  glide  onward  over  the 
edge  of  the  terrific  precipice.  I  have  seen  a  poor 
fellow  sitting  in  a  boat,  utterly  beyond  his  control, 
gliding  rapidly  down  the  rapids  toward  the  falls  of 
Niagara.  Quicker  and  quicker  it  has  moved,  till, 
reaching  the  edge,  it  has  seemed  to  hover  for  a  mo- 
ment, as  if  unwilling  to  make  the  fatal  plunge,  and 
then  over  it  has  leaped  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning, 
and  it  and  its  hapless  occupant  have  been  for  ever 
hid  from  human  sight.  I  felt  at  the  moment  very 
much  the  same  sort  of  sensations  which  I  can  fancy 
the  occupant  of  the  boat  must  have  experienced,  as 
the  mass  of  snow,  increasing  in  speed,  rapidly  neared 
the  precipice.  From  where  I  was,  I  had  not  the 
slightest  power  to  leap  off  it.     I  fancied  that  all  my 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  197 

companions  were  in  a  similar  condition.  There  is 
an  eastern  story,  in  which  a  man  puts  his  head  into 
a  basin  of  water,  and  during  the  few  seconds  he 
holds  it  there,  he  ^nds  that  he  has  gone  through 
the  adventures  of  a  lifetime.  I  do  not  think  tliat 
many  seconds  could  have  passed  from  the  moment 
the  snow  began  to  move,  till  Short  and  I,  and  the 
rest,  found  ourselves,  with  the  body  of  the  bear, 
rolling  over  and  over,  and  bounding  from  rock  to 
rock,  amid  confusing  heaps  of  snow,  down  into  the 
bottom  of  the  glen.  How  I  am  alive  to  tell  the  tale 
I  do  not  know,  and  that  fact  makes  people  listen  to 
me  with  no  small  amount  of  incredulity.  I  was 
more  blinded,  stunned,  and  confused  than  I  had 
ever  been  in  my  life  before,  and  each  bound  I  made 
I  thought  would  knock  the  breath  out  of  me  ;  but 
as  for  reaching  the  bottom,  I  never  expected  to  do 
that  —  at  all  events  alive.  Now  I  got  a  kick  from 
one  of  my  companions  in  misfortune  ;  now  I  was 
knocked  against  the  hairy  carcass  of  the  bear  ;  now 
I  was  almost  suffocated  with  the  overwhelming 
masses  of  snow  which  were  showered  around  me. 
One  thing  I  own  —  I  did  not  just  then  think  much 
about  anybody  else  ;  I  could  not  help  anybody,  and 
I  knew  that  no  mortal  could  help  me.  Down  I 
went,  as  I  was  saying,  bounding  away,  snow  above, 
below,  and  round  me.  At  last  I  was  quiet.  I 
opened  my  eyes  —  I  was  under  the  snow  —  I  felt  a 
8uffo3ating  sensation.     "  After  having  got  thus  far 

17* 


198         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

without  broken  limbs,  it  won't  do  to  have  the  breath 
squeezed  out  of  my  body  for  want  of  exertion,"  said 
I  to  myself,  working  away  with  arms  and  shoulders, 
till,  as  a  chicken  cracks  the  shell  of  its  egg,  I  broke 
through  the  covering  of  snow  which  was  above  me, 
and  once  more  I  popped  my  head  into  daylight.  I 
was  in  the  midst  of  a  sea  of  snow,  the  hind  paw  of 
the  bear  was  close  to  me,  so  I  hoped  that  friend 
Short  was  not  far  off,  while  I  could  make  out  several 
of  my  other  companions  struggling  up  through  the 
snow  around  us.  High  above  us  towered  the  cliffs, 
and  it  seemed  indeed  wonderful  that  any  of  us 
could  come  down  such  a  height  alive.  There  is  a 
Greek  fable  I  remember  reading  as  a  boy  at  school, 
of  the  ground  being  sown  with  teeth,  and  out  of  it 
coming  armed  men.  I  cannot  help  thinking  that 
we  must  have  looked  very  much  like  those  ready- 
made  heroes,  as  I  and  my  companions  struggled  up 
out  of  the  snow.  Elihu  Ragget  was  the  first  who 
joined  me.  Sam  Short  did  not  appear ;  I  told 
Elihu  that  I  thought  he  must  be  near  —  probably 
under  the  bear,  and  that  if  not  released,  he  would 
certainly  be  smothered.  So,  without  a  word  more, 
we  set  to  work  with  our  hands,  shovelling  out  tlie 
snow  as  well  as  we  could.  We  thought,  as  we  worked 
away,  that  we  heard  a  groan.  This  made  us  re- 
double our  exertions  to  release  our  friend.  We 
had  not  been  a  minute  at  work,  when  a  shout 
reached  our  ears,  and  on  our  looking  up,  there  ap 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  199 

p^sared  the  very  man  we  were  in  search  of,  standing 
dn  a  ledge  of  rocks,  high  above  our  heads.  He 
seemed  unhurt,  and  he  was  shouting  to  us  to  ask 
how  we  were.  We  thought,  therefore,  that  we 
must  have  been  mistaken  as  to  the  groan,  when 
some  one  asked,  "  Where  is  Obed  Ragget  ?  " 

"  Oh,  lads,  help  me  !  "  cried  Elihu  ;  the  thought 
that  his  young  brother  lay  buried  beneath  our  feet, 
and  that  he  had  not  missed  him,  striking  him  with 
shame. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  was  the  answer,  as  we  all  set  to  witli 
even  more  energy  than  before.  We  dug  and  dug 
away  round  the  bear,  till  at  length  a  man's  leg  ap- 
peared, and  then  his  body,  and  in  a  few  seconds  the 
snow  was  cleared  away,  and  my  friend  Obed  Ragget 
was  drawn  up  out  of  tlig^snow.  But  we  gazed  at 
him  with  sorrow,  for  not  a  spark  of  life  appeared  in 
him.  The  rest  were  going  to  give  him  up  as  dead, 
hut  I  entreated  them  not  to  despair.  I  examined 
him,  and  found  that,  as  far  as  I  could  judge,  there 
was  not  a  bone  broken,  and  when  I  put  my  mouth 
down  to  his,  I  felt  sure  that  he  still  breathed. 

"  What  he  wants  is  warmth,"  said  I,  just  then 
recollecting  that  the  body  of  the  bear  would  still 
afford  it.  No  sooner  thought  of  than  done.  It  was 
a  desperate,  and  not  altogether  a  pleasant  remedy. 
We  cut  a  huge  slit  in  the  body  of  the  bear,  and 
stripping  off  Obed's  outer  garments,  we  clapped  him 
in,  keeping  only  his  head  outside,  while  all  of  us 


200  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Rea  IS/etns  ' 

stood  round  to  assist  in  giving  him  warmth.  We 
watched  anxiously  for  the  result.  First  one  eye" 
opened,  then  another  ;  then  he  sighed  heavily  ;  and 
at  last  he  sang  out,  and  asked  where  he  was.  In  a 
little  time  he  laughed  quietly. 

"  Don't  call  me  a  cub,"  said  he,  "  that's  all ;  I 
think  that  I  am  wonderfully  better.  I  am  much 
obliged  to  you  and  the  bear,  but  now  I  would  just 
as  soon  come  out  into  the  world  again."  After 
this  we  had  no  longer  any  anxiety  about  him,  and 
certainly  our  remedy  had  a  very  wonderful  effect  in 
restoring  him  to  animation.  Now  came  our  diffi- 
culty as  to  how  to  get  out  of  the  gully  into  which 
we  had  fallen.  There  was  an  outlet,  but  the  way 
to  it  was  evidently  almost  impracticable,  and  where 
it  might  lead  we  could  not  tell.  Besides  this,  there 
was  Sam  Short  perched  like  an  eagle  above  our 
heads ;  only  Sam,  not  having  wings  like  an  eagle, 
could  not  get  down  to  us,  nor,  as  far  as  we  could 
sec,  could  we  get  up  to  the  top  of  the  cliff  above 
him.  We  shouted,  but  we  could  not  make  each 
other  hear. 

"  If  the  big  bear  was  up  at  the  top,  we  should 
not  be  long  before  we  would  be  up  to  him,"  ob- 
served Obed ;  "  Sam  would  soon  cut  her  hide  up 
into  strips,  and  haul  us  up."  We  looked  about ;  as 
to  climbing  up,  that  was  out  of  the  question.  lor 
fifty  feet  above  our  heads  there  was  a  perpendicular 
wall  of  rock.     Above   that   there  were   numerous 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  201 

ledges  or  platforms,  and  the  cliff  seemed  compara- 
tively easy  to  climb.  While  we  were  looking  about 
and  discussing  the  matter,  we  saw  Sam  attempting 
to  climb  up  the  cliff.  After  many  attempts  he 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  top,  and  disappeared 
from  our  sight.  He  was  absent  for  some  time,  and 
when  he  was  again  seen,  he  had  a  coil  of  something 
or  other,  we  could  not  exactly  make  out  what, 
round  his  neck.  We  now  saw  him,  after  carefully 
examining  the  cliff  below  him,  begin  to  descend. 
We  watched  him  anxiously,  for  our  very  existence 
depended  on  his  success.  He  reached  at  last  the 
place  where  he  had  before  stood,  then  he  cautiously 
commenced  descending  still  lower. 

"  What  donkeys  we  have  been ! "  suddenly  ex- 
claimed Elihu ;  "  the  coil  of  stuff  he  has  got  won't 
drag  any  of  us  up,  we  must  make  a  rope  for  our- 
selves." We  quickly  had  our  knives  going,  and 
soon  had  Bruin  completely  flayed,  and  his  hide  cut 
up  into  short  strips  joined  together.  All  the  time 
we  were  at  work,  we  every  now  and  then  looked  up 
to  see  how  Sam  was  getting  on.  The  fear  was  that 
he  might  slip  on  the  frozen  rock,  and  come  toppling 
down,  unable  to  save  himself.  Just  as  we  had 
finished  our  rope,  a  shout  from  him  proclaimed  to 
us  that  he  had  reached  the  lowest  ledge  he  could 
hope  to  gain.  Witiiout  a  moment's  delay  he  began 
to  unwind  his  line.  It  was  a  very  thin  one,  and 
had  numerous  knots  or  joints  in  it.     As  we  watched 


202  Dick  Onslow  atid  the  Red  Skins : 

it,  we  were  in  doubt  whether  the  end  would  reach 
tis  ;  it  ^ust  came  down  above  our  heads.  Bj  leap- 
ing up  we  could  touch  it ;  but  as  to  making  a  rope 
fast  to  the  end,  that  was  out  of  the  question.  Sam 
soon  discovered  our  difficulty.  The  rope  was  drawn 
up  a  little,  and  then  down  it  came,  so  that  we  could 
make  fast  to  it  the  end  of  our  newly-formed  bear's- 
skin  rope.  "  Haul-away !  "  we  sang  out,  and  up 
it  went. 

There  was  a  doubt,  however,  whether  that  would 
be  long  enough.  We  watched  it  anxiously  as  it 
drew  near  the  end,  and  then  up,  up,  up  it  went, 
far  beyond  our  reach.  We  went  back  and  shouted 
to  Ned.  What  he  said  in  leturn,  we  could  not 
make  out.  Here  was  a  bitter  disappointment  in- 
deed. Our  labor  had  been  fruitless ;  our  hope  of 
escape  wellnigh  vanished.  Presently  we  saw  the 
end  of  the  rope  descending  till  it  came  easily  within 
our  reach.  Short,  directly  afterwards,  appeared  at 
the  edge  of  the  cliff. 

"  What  will  you  do  ?  Shall  I  haul  you  up,  or 
will  you  climb  up  ?  "  he  asked. 

We  were  unanimously  of  opinion  that  it  would 
be  safer  to  climb  up,  as  we  might  help  ourselves  a 
little  by  placing  our  feet  on  the  inequalities  in  the 
side  of  the  cliff,  and  there  would  be  less  chance 
of  the  rope  chafing  and  breaking.  We  drew  lots 
who  should  go  up  first.     The  lot  fell  on  Obed. 

"  Stand  from  under  if  I  come  down,"  he  said, 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  203 

laughing,  and  seizing  the  rope.  Up  he  began  to 
mount.  He  was  very  active  and  muscular  in  pro- 
portion to  his  weight.  Still  it  was  no  light  under- 
taking to  have  to  ascend  such  a  height.  For  his 
sake,  as  well  as  our  own,  we  watched  him  with 
intense  anxiety.  Up,  up  he  went.  Now  he  swung 
otf  from  the  cliff,  now  his  feet  were  planted  on  a 
ledge  of  rock,  and  he  stood  there  to  rest.  Then 
again  on  lie  went.  The  fresh  hide  stretched  fear- 
fully, and  it  seemed  as  if  to  a  certainty  it  would 
give  way.  There  was  no  turning  back,  however. 
Now  he  came  to  a  part  of  the  cliff  where  he  had 
to  trust  entirely  to  the  rope.  With  hands,  and 
knees,  and  feet,  he  worked  away.  None  but  a  sea- 
man or  a  backwoodsman  could  have  accomplished 
the  undertaking  so  rapidly,  if  at  all.  He  was  almost 
at  the  top.  Ned  reached  over  to  help  him.  We  held 
our  breath.  Now  seemed  the  critical  moment.  How 
was  he  to  scramble  up  over  tlie  edge  of  the  cliff, 
exhausted  as  he  must  be  with  his  exertions.  Ned 
seized  him  by  the  collar,  and  throwing  himself  back, 
dragged  him  up  by  main  force.  Now  we  all  uttered 
a  loud  shout  of  congratulation,  for  thus  far  Obed 
was  safe.  Three  or  four  of  the  other  men  fol- 
lowed. The  last,  having  more  friends  to  help  them 
over  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  found  it  easier  than 
Obed  had  done.  My  turn  came  at  last.  Only 
Elihii  and  another  man  had  to  follow.  My  arms 
ached  as  I  got  half  way  up,  and  the  sickening  idea 


204  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

came  over  me  that  the  bear's  hide  was  chafed,  and 
would  break  with  me  just  as  I  got  up  the  most 
critical  part.  I  rested  for  a  moment  on  the  last 
spot  which  afforded  space  for  my  feet,  and  then 
swung  off  into  mid  air.  I  now  knew  the  sensations 
which  my  companions  must  have  experienced.  Tliey 
were  very  like  those  whicli  one  has  occasionally  iu 
a  nightmare  sort  of  dream  ;  to  feel  tliat  one  ought  to 
be  climbing  up,  and  yet  scarcely  to  have  strength  to 
lift  one's  arms.  It  must  be  remembered  that  we 
were  all  clad  to  keep  out  extreme  cold,  and  that  a 
buffalo  coat  is  a  pretty  heavy  weight  to  have  on  one's 
shoulders  even  under  ordinary  circumstances.  My 
great  consolation  was,  that  the  snow  was  pretty  soft, 
and  that  if  I  did  fall,  I  might  possibly,  having  once 
taken  the  tumble,  escape  without  breaking  my  neck. 
To  make  a  long  story  short,  I  did  reach  the  ledge  at 
last,  and  so  did  the  rest  of  my  companions ;  and 
then  we  hauled  up  the  bear's  hide,  and  commenced 
our  still  more  perilous  ascent  to  the  top  of  the  cliff. 
By  the  by,  Elihu  and  the  other  man  had  bethought 
them  that  we  might  be  hungry  after  our  exertions, 
and  had  brought  up  a  supply  of  bear  steaks,  which 
added  not  a  little  to  their  weight.  I  doiibt  if  one 
man  ajpne  could  have  succeeded  in  scaling  that 
height,  for  it  must  be  remembered  that  Ned  Short 
had  only  gone  up  the  higher  part.  Still,  with  a 
number  together,  all  heartily  assisting  each  other, 
we  found  the  task  comparatively  easy.     When  we 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  205 

came  to  a  difficult  place,  we  shoved  the  lighter  ones 
up  first,  and  then  they  let  down  a  rope,  and  the  rest 
hauled  themselves  np  by  it.  At  length  we  all  stood 
on  the  top  of  the  cliff,  not  far  from  the  bear's  cave, 
and  when  we  looked  down  into  the  valley  we  were 
indeed  surprised  that  we  had  escaped  with  our  lives, 
and  I  hope  that  we  all  felt  truly  thankful  for  our 
preservation.  Short  now  told  us  that  he  had,  when 
he  had  before  gone  up  to  tlie  top,  caught  and  killed 
one  of  the  young  bears,  and  had  cut  up  its  hide  to 
make  a  line,  but  that  one  or  more  still  remained.  I 
had  a  great  fancy  for  a  young  bear,  so  Obed  and  I 
resolved  to  try  and  capture  one.  Accordingly,  while 
the  rest  of  the  party  were  cutting  some  wood  to  light 
a  fire  for  the  sake  of  cooking  the  bear  steaks,  Obed 
and  I  started  away  with  part  of  our  rope  toward  the 
cave. 

"  I  suppose  there  are  no  more  big  bears  inside 
there,"  said  Obed  ;  they  are  mighty  ugly  custom- 
ers to  beard  anywhere,  but  especially  in  their  own 
den." 

"  No  fear,"  I  answered  ;  if  one  had  been  in  there, 
he  would  have  appeared  long  ago.  We  shall  only 
find  a  cub  or  two,  and  there  will  not  be  much  diffi- 
culty in  capturing  them."  I  ought  to  have  said 
that  most  of  the  party  had  recovered  their  fire-arms. 
Obed  and  I  had  left  our  rifles  far  back,  away  from 
the  snow  which  had  slipped  with  us  over  the  cliflf, 
so  that  we  had  them  now  uninjured.  The  cave  was 
18 


•20»3  Dick  Onslow  and  t  he  Red  Skins : 

large,  and  for  some  distance  there  was  light  enough 
to  enable  us  to  see  our  way,  but  it  at  length  became 
so  dark  that  we  could  not  see  ahead.  All  we  could 
do  was  therefore  to  feel  our  way  with  our  rifles. 

"  I  think  we  must  be  near  the  end,"  said  I  at 
last.  We  had  a  tinder-box :  Obcd  struck  a  light. 
The  blue  glare  of  the  match  showed  us  two  hairy 
bundles  rolled  up  near  the  wall  of  the  cave.  While 
he  lighted  another  match,  I  rushed  up  to  one  of  the 
bundles,  which  I  found,  by  receiving  a  sharp  bite, 
was  a  little  bear.  I  soon,  however,  had  the  young 
gentleman's  fore  paws  bound  tightly  together,  and 
was  dragging  him  out  toward  the  mouth  of  the  cave. 
Obed  seized  the  other,  while  the  match  was  still 
burning  on  the  ground,  and  we  thus  had  them  both 
captives.  We  brought  them  in  triumph  to  our 
friends,  who  were  feasting  on  their  mother.  We  did 
not  offer  them  any  of  the  poor  brute,  and  I  dare  say 
they  thought  us  very  greedy  for  not  doing  so,  not 
probably  entering  into  our  delicate  feelings  on  the 
subject.  Having  refreshed  ourselves,  all  hands 
agreeing  that  we  had  had  quite  enough  bear  hunt- 
ing for  the  day,  we  set  oflf  on  our  return  to  camp. 
We  had  no  little  difficulty  in  getting  our  young 
bears  to  move  along.  Poor  little  things !  they  did 
not  like  the  cold,  and  of  course  missed  their  mother. 
Still,  by  dint  of  poking  and  pulling,  we  made  them 
keep  up  with  the  rest  of  the  party.  Now  the  ex- 
citement was  over,  I  must  say  that  I  never  felt  no 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  207 

tired  in  my  life.  Still  I  would  not  relinquish  my 
captive.  Indeed  it  would  have  been  barbarous  for 
us  to  have  done  so,  as  it  would  have  died  of  cold 
and  starvation.  At  last,  at  niglitfall,  we  did  get  in. 
We  found  all  the  camp  in  a  great  state  of  agitation, 
very  much  on  our  account,  and  not  a  little  on  their 
own.  When  we  inquired  what  was  the  matter,  they 
took  us  into  the  general  sitting-room,  and  pointed 
to  an  Indian,  habited  in  the  full  dress  warrior  cos- 
tume of  winter,  who  was  squatting  down  before  the 
fire.  He  looked  pleased  when  he  saw  us,  and 
counted  our  numbers.  "  Good!  "  he  exclaimed,  in 
the  deep-toned  voice  of  his  people.  "  Now  fight 
well ;  drive  away  bad  man."  The  English  vocabu- 
lary of  our  guest  was  very  small,  and  no  one  in  the 
camp  had  been  able  to  comprehend  exactly  the 
information  he  came  to  give,  except  that  an  attack 
might  be  expected,  at  some  time  or  other,  from  a 
large  tribe  or  tribes,  hostile  to  the  white  man. 
Short,  however,  who  understood  several  of  the  Indian 
dialects,  now  came  in  to  act  as  interpreter.  The 
information  he  elicited  was  still  more  alarming.  It 
was  to  the  effect  that  before  long  we  might  expect 
to  be  attacked  by  overwhelming  numbers  of  Red 
Skin  warriors,  from  whom,  if  they  took  us  by  sur- 
prise, we  should  have  very  little  chance  of  escaping 


208        Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skin* : 


CHAPTER  Xm. 

Bkorl  and  Noggin  act  as  interprtitrs.  —  We  prepare  to  move  onward.  — 
ITie  White  Bog.  —  We  guard  against  surprise.  —  I  go  out  as  a 
scout. — Pursued  by  Red  Skins.  —  Rtturn  to  the  Camp.  —  More 
visitors.  —  We  suspect  treachery.  —  White  Dog  warns  us  that  they 
are  enemies. —  We  prepare  for  a  start  while  Noggin  holds  a  palaver 
with  the  Indians.  —  They  are  allowed  to  enter.  —  Their  chiefs 
treacherous  attempt  to  kill  Laban,  but  gets  killed  himself.  —  We  seize 
the  rest.  —  Noggin's  regret  thai  we  do  not  kiU  them.  —  We  start  on 
our  journey.  —  White  Bog  accompanies  us.  —  We  piish  on.  —  Our 
first  encampment.  —  A  fresh  alarm. 

The  report  brought  bj  the  Indian  warrior  of  the 
intended  attack  of  the  Red  Skins  on  our  camp  soon 
collected  all  the.  party  together  in  the  common  hall. 
Our  men  had  pretty  well-strung  nerves,  and  the 
women,  old  and  young,  were  in  no  ways  given  to 
fainting ;  so,  although  the  latter  listened  with  the 
greatest  attention,  and  the  former  spoke  gravely 
and  deliberately,  there  was  not  much  excitement, 
and  no  great  amount  of  anxiety  perceptible  on  their 
countenances.  Our  feather-be-decked,  skin-clothed 
visitor  was  not  much  addicted  to  giving  forth  long- 
winded  speeches  as  are  some  of  bis  countrymen. 
Short  and  Noggin  were  his  chief  interrogators,  as 
ttey  understood  his  dialect,  and  they  translated  his 
answers  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  did  not.     He 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  209 

was  asked  how  it  was  he  became  acquainted  with 
the  information  he  had  brought  us. 

"  Can  you  say,  0  White  Skins,  how  the  blossoms 
come  on  the  trees  ?  how  tlie  mist  fills  the  air  ?  how 
the  snow  melts  on  the  ground  ? "  was  his  reply. 
"  I  heard  it ;  I  speak  the  truth  ;  that  is  enough." 

"  But  when,  friend,  are  they  coming  ? "  asked 
Short. 

"  Can  you  say  when  the  thunderbolt  will  fall  ? 
when  the  tempest  is  about  to  burst  ?  where  the 
prairie  fire  will  break  forth  ?  "  he  replied. 

Short  and  Noggin  seemed  perfectly  satisfied  with 
his  answers.  But  that  was  more  than  I  felt,  when 
he  replied  to  the  questions  put  to  him  as  to  their 
numbers. 

"  Can  you  count  the  flakes  which  fall  in  early 
winter?  do  you  know  the  number  of  the  stars  in 
the  blue  canopy  above  our  heads  ?  can  you  reckon 
the  buffaloes  as  they  scamper  across  the  plains  in  a 
stampedo  ?  " 

Noggin  on  this  got  up,  and  bowing  to  the  old 
chief  who  was  squatting  on  his  hams  by  his  side,  in 
a  most  polite  way,  observed  : 

"  All  this  rigmarole,  which  this  old  Red  Skin 
here  has  been  telling  to  us,  comes  to  this,  as  far  as 
I  can  make  out.  He  has  heard  the  plot  of  those 
thieving,  varmint  Red  Skins  through  his  wife,  or 
some  friend  or  other.  When  they  will  come  he 
does  not  exactly  know,  but  it  will  be  about  the  time 
18* 


210  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

that  the  snow  begins  to  melt,  and  travelling  is 
pretty  heavy  work,  and  then  they'll  come  down 
upon  us  in  no  small  numbers,  enough,  I  guess,  to 
make  us  look  pretty  foolish  if  we  don't  keep  our 
powder  dry,  and  our  eyes  wide  awake  around  us. 
The  question  now  is,  shall  we  stay  here  and  figlit 
the  varmints,  or  shall  we  strike  tents,  and  pubh 
away  over   the  mountains  ?  " 

Various  opinions  were  given  on  this  point.  If 
we  remained  where  we  were  the  Red  Skins  would 
attack  us,  and  though  we  might  beat  them  off,  they 
would  probably  surround  us,  and  come  again  and 
again  till  they  starved  us  out,  or  compelled  us  to 
retreat  at  a  disadvantage.  Tlie  moving  our  pro- 
visions and  baggage  was  our  great  difficulty.  Still, 
the  general  opinion  was,  that  it  would  be  better  to 
move  on  at  once.  Laban  Ragget  at  last  stood  up, 
and  gave  the  casting  vote. 

"  You  see,  friends,"  said  he,  "  wliere  there's  a 
will  there's  a  way.  That's  been  my  notion  through 
life.  Where  I've  had  the  will  to  do,  mind  you, 
what  ought  to  be  done,  I've  never  failed  to  find  the 
way.  I've  fought  the  Red  Skins  often,  and  I'd 
fight  them  again,  if  need  be,  with  pleasure  ;  but  I 
don't  want  to  expose  the  women  and  children  to 
the  chances  of  a  battle  with  them ;  and  so  I  say 
we'll  move  on.  We'll  put  runners  to  the  waggons, 
and  make  snow-shoes  for  ourselves,  and  by  to- 
morrow evening  we'll  be  ready  for  a  start.     Then 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  211 

we'll  lie  down  and  rest,  and  by  early  dawn  we'll  be 
on  foot  and  away.  Meantime,  some  of  the  young 
men  will  keep  a  look-out  round  the  camp,  to  watch 
that  we  are  not  taken  by  surprise." 

I  give  Laban's  speech  entire,  because  his  pro- 
posals were  carried  out  to  the  letter.  All  agreed  ; 
and,  literally,  I  do  not  believe  that  a  minute  had 
passed  before  everybody  was  busily  engaged  in  pre- 
paring for  our  departure.  Some  were  making 
snow-shoes ;  others  runners  for  the  sleighs  ;  others 
packing  our  goods  and  provisions  in  small  light 
parcels  easily  carried  ;  the  women  were  as  active  as 
the  men,  and  several  were  cooking  and  preparing 
the  flesh  of  the  bear  we  had  killed  the  night  before, 
by  making  it  into  pemmican.  Mrs.  Noggin  was 
very  useful  in  making  snow-shoes,  and  so  was  the 
old  Indian.  His  name,  by  the  by,  was  Wabassem- 
mung,  or  the  White  Dog,  and  to  prove  his  title  to 
the  name,  he  would  set  up  a  barking,  which  no  one 
could  have  supposed  was  from  the  voice  of  a  human 
being.  He  had  only  about  twenty  followers,  all 
the  rest  of  his  tribe  having  been  treacherously 
murdered  by  the  Flintheads,  against  whom  lie  had 
now  come  to  warn  us.  He  wore  a  wliite  mantle, 
as  appropriate  to  his  name,  or,^robably,  he  obtained 
his  name  from  his  fancy  for  wearing  a  wliite  man- 
tle ;  at  least,  one  that  was  white  by  courtesy,  for  it 
had  become  so  smoke-dried  and  Jitained,  that  its 
original   purity  was   considerably   damaged.     Our 


212         Dick  Onsloic  and  the  Red  Skins: 

venerable  friend  assured  us,  that  tli^e  was  no 
chance  of  the  Flintheads  attacking  us  that  night, 
and  that  we  might,  therefore,  sleep  in  peace,  be- 
cause his  own  people  were  on  the  watch,  and 
would  give  us  timely  notice.  This  was  satisfactory, 
for,  after  our  bear-hunting  expedition,  I,  for  one, 
was  very  glad  to  get  some  rest.  Few  people  have 
ever  slept  sounder  than  I  did  on  that  night  for  a 
few  hours,  notwithstanding  all  the  bustle  and  noise 
going  on  in  the  camp. 

By  the  evening,  as  Laban  had  promised,  every 
thing  was  ready  for  our  departure.  This  night  it 
was  judged  prudent  that  scouts  should  be  sent  out 
to  watch  for  an  enemy,  and  Obed,  Elihu,  Sam, 
Noggin,  and  I,  with  a  few  others,  were  appointed 
to  that  duty  by  Laban.  He  had  been  chosen  lead- 
er and  dictator,  and  we  were  all  bound  implicitly 
to  obey  him.  We  scouts,  with  our  rifles  in  hand, 
started  away  together,  two  and  two.  Obed  was 
with  me.  With  the  snow  on  the  ground,  and  a 
clear  sky  in  those  regions,  it  is  never  dark,  and  our 
difficulty,  as  we  advanced,  was  to  conceal  ourselves 
from  any  lurking  foe.  Still  we  worked  our  way 
on,  taking  advantage  of  every  mound,  or  the  tops  of 
trees,  or  bushes  appearing  above  the  white  smooth 
plain.  It  had  been  agreed  that,  as  soon  as  we 
should  see  an  enemy,  we  were  to  retreat  at  full 
speed  to  the  camp.  If  we  were  discovered,  we 
were   to   fire  off  our   rifles  as  a  warning   to  our 


X 

An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  213 

friends,  but  if  not,  we  were  to  reserve  our  Ijullets 
for  the  bodies  of  our  foes.  We  each  had  on  light 
snow-shoes,  with  which  we  could  walk  well  enough, 
but  running  with  such  machines  is  altogether  a 
very  different  affair  to  running  in  a  thin  pair  of 
pumps.  Having  proceeded  about,  as  we  judged, 
three  miles  from  the  camp,  we  began  to  circle 
round  it,  for  it  was  just  as  likely  that  the  cunning 
Red  Skins  would  approach  from  the  east  or  south, 
as  from  the  north.  They,  wiser  than  white  men, 
never  commit  the  fault  of  despising  their  enemies, 
but  take  every  advantage  which  stratagem  or 
treachery  can  afford  them  to  gain  their  ends. 

Obed  and  I  began  to  think  at  last  that  it  must  be 
near  dawn,  and  turned  our  eyes  eastward,  in  the 
expectation  of  seeing  the  pale  red  and  yellow 
streaks  which  usher  in  the  rich  glow,  the  harbinger 
of  the  rising  sun.  That  was  my  idea,  not  friend 
Obed's.  He  remarked,  "  Daylight  will  soon  be  on, 
I  guess,  and  it  is  time  we  were  back  at  camp  to  get 
some  breakfast,  before  we  begin  our  trudoje  over 
the  mountains,  for  I'm  mighty  hungry,  I  calkilate ; 
ain't  you,  Dick  ?  " 

I  agreed  with  him ;  but  just  before  we  turned 
our  faces  campward,  I  climbed  up  the  south  side 
of  a  rocky  mound,  above  which  I  allowed  only  my 
head  to  appear,  that  I  might  take  a  leisurely  survey 
of  the  country  beyond  where  we  then  were.  Obed 
followed  my  example.  We  gazed  through  the 
shades  of  night  for  some  time. 


214         Dick  Onsloio  and  the  Red  Skins : 

"  I'm  main  hungry,  Dick,"  said  Obed,  "  let  us  be 
going." 

Still  something  kept  me  there.  Just  as  I  was 
getting  up,  I  thought  I  saw  some  dark  shadows 
moving  along  over  the  white  sheet  of  snow. 

"  Look,  Obed,"  said  I,  "  What  are  those  out 
there  ?  " 

His  eyes  were  even  sharper  generally  than  mine. 
"  Indjens,  Red  Skins,"  whispered  Obed.  "  It's 
time  that  we  cut.     They  are  not  far  off." 

We  first,  before  moving,  satisfied  ourselves  that 
we  were  not  mistaken  ;  there  were  a  dozen  or  more 
people,  probably  the  advance  guard.  We  then 
slipped  down  from  our  height,  and  began  striding 
toward  the  camp,  as  fast  as  our  legs  and  snow-shoes 
would  carry  us.  It  was  a  satisfaction  to  feel  that 
there  was  a  high  mound  between  us  and  the  In- 
dians, or  our  scalps  would  not  have  felt  comfortable 
on  our  heads.  We  did  not  turn  our  eyes  to  the 
right  hand  or  the  left,  but  looked  straight  on,  keep- 
ing our  legs  going  with  a  curious  movement,  be- 
tween sliding  and  running,  and  skating  and  kick- 
ing. It  was  fatiguing,  but  we  got  on  rapidly,  and 
we  had  an  idea  that  our  enemies  were  not  advanc- 
ing nearly  so  fast.  It  was  a  race  for  life  or  death. 
Strange  to  say,  I  rather  liked  the  excitement.  I 
always  prefer  having  an  object  when  I  walk  ;  now 
I  had  got  one.  We  knew  that  if  the  Indians  crossed 
our  trail,  they  would  instantly  find  us  out  and  give 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  215 

chase,  but  then  it  was  a  satisfaction  to  know  that 
they  could  not  go  faster  than  we  were  going.  We 
had  got  almost  within  sight  of  the  camp,  when  we 
heard  a  shout  from  behind  us.  I  was  unwilling  to 
stop  to  look  back,  but  if  I  did  not  stop,  and  at- 
tempted to  look  over  my  shoulder,  I  should  very 
likely,  I  knew,  topple  down  on  my  head.  On  we 
went  again.  There  was  another  shout.  We  could 
just  see  the  tops  of  the  huts.  I  turned  my  head 
round,  and  there  I  saw  a  dozen  or  more  Red 
Skin  warriors  scampering  like  mad  creatures  over 
the  snow,  and  flourishing  their  tomahawks.  Fast 
as  we  were  going,  they  were  going  faster.  Still  we 
might  reach  the  camp  before  them,  but  it  was  nec- 
essary to  warn  our  friends.  As  I  ran,  I  unslung 
my  rifle,  not  to  fire  at  them,  for  that  would  have 
been  useless,  but  to  discharge  it  in  the  air  as  a 
signal.  I  did  so,  but  by  some  means,  by  this  act,  I 
lost  my 'balance,  and  toppling  over,  down  I  came  at 
full  length.  I  tried  to  rise,  but  that  on  soft  snow 
is  no  easy  matter  to  do  at  the  speed  circumstances 
demanded  ;  and  then,  what  was  my  horror  to  find 
that  I  had  broken  one  of  my  snow-shoes  !  I  gave 
myself  up  for  lost,  and  entreated  Obed  to  fly  and 
save  his  life. 

"  Fly,  Dick !  "  he  exclaimed  indignantly  ;  "  that 
ain't  the  way  of  the  Raggets,  boy.  No ;  if  the 
Red  Skins  want  your  scalp,  they  must  have  mine 
first,  and  I'll  have  a  fight  for  both  of  them,  depend 
on't." 


216         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

While  he  was  saying  this,  he  was  helping  mo  to 
rise,  and  as  one  snow-shoe  would  be  worse  than 
useless,  I  cast  them  both  off,  and  then  did  what 
was  the  next  best  thing,  loaded  ray  rifle ;  and, 
turning  our  faces  to  our  approaching  foes,  we  stood 
ready  to  receive  them.  When  they  saw  us  stop, 
they  came  on  more  leisurely.  As  they  got  nearer, 
I  counted  about  a  dozen  of  them  only.  On  this 
my  heart  began  to  beat  more  regularly. 

"  I  say,  Dick,  my  scalp  sits  pleasanter,  like,  on 
my  head,"  observed  Obed. 

In  a  short  time  the  Indians  got  near  enough  to 
us  to  hail.  "  What  are  they  saying?  "  I  asked  of 
Obed. 

"  Why,  Dick,  as  far  as  I  can  make  out,  that  they 
are  friends,"  he  answered  ;  "  but,  you  know,  these 
Red  Skin  varmints  are  so  treacherous,  that  we 
mustn't  trust  them  on  no  account.  They  may  be 
old  White  Dog's  friends,  or  they  may  be  some  of 
the  Fliutheads.  If  they  are  the  last,  they'll  scalp 
as  in  another  minute,  or  maybe  they'll  try  and  get 
into  the  camp,  and  then  play  us  some  scurvy 
trick." 

These  surmises  were  not  pleasant.  Still,  we  could 
not  hope  to  cope  with  twelve  well-armed  Indians 
with  any  chance  of  success,  and  we  must,  therefore, 
we  saw,  attempt  only  pacific  measures.  In  another 
minute  they  were  up  with  us.  They  held  out  their 
hands  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  we  observed  that 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  217 

their  general  appearance  was  very  similar  to  that  of 
old  White  Dog.  In  a  friendly  manner,  therefore, 
we  proceeded  toward  the  camp.  When  we  got 
near,  we  made  signs  that  we  would  go  and  prepare 
our  friends  for  their  reception.  They  made  no  ob- 
jection to  this,  but,  letting  us  go,  squatted  down  on 
the  snow  about  two  hundred  yards  from  the  camp. 
Immediately  we  got  in,  we  told  Noggin,  who  inter- 
preted our  report  to  White  Dog. 

"  Tell  him  not  to  show  himself,"  said  Laban. 

The  old  chief  was,  however,  far  too  wide  awake 
to  do  that.  Covering  himself  up  with  one  of  our 
cloaks,  so  that  even  the  sharp  eyes  of  an  Indian 
could  not  discover  him,  he  crept  to  the  north  of  the 
hut,  and  looked  through  the  stockade.  Noggin  ac- 
companied him. 

"  Flintheads,"  whispered  Noggin.  "  He  says  they 
are  not  his  people.  They  are  up  to  some  deep 
treachery.  They,  of  course,  don't  know  that  old 
White  Dog  is  here,  and  that  we  are  warned  of  their 
intentions.  What  is  to  be  done  ?  I  wish  Short 
and  the  rest  were  here." 

Laban,  after  Noggin  had  spoken,  stood  for  a  min- 
ute or  two  in  an  attitude  of  reflection.  I  believe 
that  if  a  great  gun  had  been  let  off  at  his  ear  he 
would  not  have  heard  it  just  then.  At  length  he 
said : 

"  Wait  till  they  come,  and  then  we  will  let  tho 

19 


21 8  Dick  Onshiv  and  the  Red  Skins : 

Red  Skins  enter  the  encarapraent.  As  they  do 
so  we  must  seize  every  mother's  son  of  them,  and 
bind  them  all  to  the  posts  of  the  huts.  We  won't 
brain  them,  as  they  would  have  brained  us,  and 
may-be  the  lesson  we  thus  give  them  will  teach  tliem 
that  the  religion  of  the  white  faces  is  better  than  that 
of  the  Red  Skins." 

We  eagerly  looked  out  for  the  return  of  the 
other  scouts,  for  we  were  afraid  that  they  might 
have  been  picked  off  by  some  prowling  bands  of 
Flintheads.  Soon  after  daylight,  however,  they 
came  in,  without  having  seen  any  one.  Our  ar- 
rangements were  speedily  made.  Tiie  women  were 
to  keep  out  of  the  way,  and  to  pretend  to  be  nursing 
the  children.  As  we  far  outnumbered  the  Indians, 
two  of  us  were  told  off  to  take  charge  of  one  of  them, 
the  rest  were  to  act  as  a  party  of  reserve  to  seize  any 
that  might  escape.  The  instant  they  entered  the 
camp  they  were  to  be  seized,  as,  seeing  us  prepared 
to  move,  of  course  their  suspicions  would  be  aroused. 
Noggin,  who  best  knew  their  ways,  undertook  \a> 
tell  them  that  they  might  come  in. 

"  The  varmints,  knowing  their  own  treacherous 
ways,  are  so  suspicious,  that  if  we  show  that  we  are 
too  willing  to  let  them  come,  they'll  fancy  that 
we've  some  plot  in  hand,  and  will  be  off  to  their 
friends." 

The  gate  of  our  stockade  being  opened.  Noggin 
carelessly  sauntered  out  and  squatted  himself  down 


An  Adoenlurc  in  the  Far  West.  219 

before  the  Indians,  as  if  prepared  for  a  regular  pa- 
laver. Not  to  lose  time,  the  rest  of  us  got  our 
breakfasts,  harnessed  the  horses,  and  prepared  for 
an  immediate  start.  I  must  say,  I  never  bolted  my 
food  at  such  a  rate  as  I  did  that  morning.  At  last 
Noggin  got  up,  and  he  and  the  Indians  came  toward 
the  stockade.  My  heart  beat  in  a  curious  way. 
We  watched  Noggin.  He  looked  glum  and  made 
no  signal  that  we  were  to  alter  our  tactics.  Tho 
Indians  all  trooped  in  one  after  the  other,  looking 
sedate  and  quiet  enough,  but  their  dark  eyes  rolled 
furtively  about,  and  there  was  a  scowl  on  their 
brows,  which  showed  that  they  were  not  altogether 
at  their  ease.  We  waited  for  Laban  to  give  the  ex- 
pected signal.  It  was  to  be  the  instant  the  chief  of 
the  party  reached  him  and  held  out  his  hand,  as  we 
knew  he  would.  Slowly,  a  tall  athletic  warrior, 
with  a  very  malignant  countenance  however,  ad 
vanced,  casting  his  suspicious  glances  on  every  side, 
till  he  was  close  up  to  Laban.  Obed  and  I  were  to 
seize  the  same  man,  but  I  could  not  help  following 
the  leader,  and  I  felt  sure  that  his  hand  was  steal- 
ing down  toward  his  tomahawk.  Laban  must  have 
thought  so  too.  In  an  instant  the  tall  warrior's 
weapon  was  in  his  hand,  and  was  descending  on 
Laban's  head,  when  a  shot  from  behind  a  hut  struck 
him  on  the  forehead,  and  he  fell  forward  dead  at 
our  friend's  feet.  At  the  same  moment  we  all 
threw  ourselves  on  his  followers,  but  many  of  us  fq* 


220         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

ceivcd  some  severe  cuts  in  our  attempts  to  secure 
them,  for  all  of  them,  prompted  by  the  same  feeling, 
liad  grasj/ed  their  axes,  with  the  intention  of  fight- 
ing their  way  again  out  of  the  camp.  We  had  a 
Bevere  struggle  with  them  before  we  had  them  all 
secured ;  scowling  and  vindictive  glances  enough 
they  cast  on  us  when  we  had  them  fast.  Old 
White  Dog  had,  we  found,  saved  the  life  of  Laban 
Ragget  by  taking  that  of  the  chief.  Never  had  a 
more  treacherous  plot  to  murder  a  whole  party  been 
more  mercifully  counteracted.  Still  neither  the 
Raggets  nor  1  would  consent  to  kill  our  captives. 
Our  proposal  was  simply  to  deprive  them  of  their 
arms,  and  having  fed  them,  to  leave  them  bound, 
knowing  that  the  rest  of  the  tribe  would,  before 
long,  visit  the  spot  and  release  them.  This  plan, 
however,  did  not  at  all  suit  old  White  Dog's  or 
Noggin's  notions  on  the  matter. 

"  The  treacherous  Red  Skin  varmints  !  you  don't 
suppose  they'll  thank  you  for  letting  'em  live  ?  " 
exclaimed  the  latter.  "  They  will  be  after  us,  and 
follow  us  up  like  bloodhounds  the  moment  they  are 
free,  that  they  will." 

"  Never  mind,  friend  Noggin,"  replied  Laban, 
calmly.  "  Right  is  riglit  all  the  world  over.  It 
would  be  wrong  to  kill  a  prisoner,  do  you  see,  and 
so  I  guess  it's  right  to  let  these  people  live.  I'll 
stand  the  consequences,  come  what  may." 

Noggin  said  no  more ;  and  now  everybody  was 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  221 

busily  engaged  in  preparing  to  start.  The  sleighs 
were  loaded,  the  horses  were  put  to,  and  in  a  long 
line  we  filed  out  of  the  fort.  All  the  women  walked 
and  carried  the  children  ;  there  were  not  many  of 
the  latter,  for  it  was  a  rough  life  we  were  leading 
at  the  bush,  and  not  fitted  for  such  delicate  beings. 
Many  of  the  men,  also,  had  to  drag  hand-sleighs, 
and,  as  it  was,  they  were  obliged  to  leave  behind 
them  some  of  the  heavier  baggage.  Old  White  Dog 
volunteered  to  accompany  us.  He  had  been  looking 
for  the  arrival  of  the  small  remnant  of  his  tribe, 
and,  as  they  had  not  appeared,  lie  began  to  fear 
that  they  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  their  enemies. 
When  all  the  party  had  gone  out,  and  proceeded 
some  hundred  yards,  Obed  and  I  went  back,  by  the 
directions  of  Laban,  and  put  some  food  within  reach 
of  our  captives'  mouths. 

"  They  won't  take  a  very  pleasant  meal,  but  they 
won't  starve,"  observed  Obed,  as  we  left  them. 
Laban,  meantime,  had  undertaken  to  watch  the  Old 
Indian  and  Noggin,  whom  he  suspected  of  an  inten- 
tion of  going  back  and  scalping  our  captives.  We, 
however,  watched  them  so  narrowly  that  they  could 
not  accomplish  their  object.  We  now  pushed  on  as 
rapidly  as  we  could  toward  the  mountains,  as  it 
was  most  important  that  we  slionld  gain  a  secure 
position  at  a  considerable  height  before  night.  At 
first,  where  the  snow  was  beaten  down,  we  went  on 

merrily  enough,  but  when  the  ascent  of  the  raouu- 
19* 


222  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

tain  really  began,  it  was  very  heavy  work  for  man 
and  beast.  Our  horses  were  not  in  good  condition, 
as  they  had  had  nothing  but  dry  prairie  grass  and 
very  little  corn  all  the  winter,  but  they  were  very 
little  animals,  all  bone  and  muscle,  and  had  no 
weight  of  their  own  to  carry,  at  all  events.  As  we 
proceeded  we  kept  a  very  bright  look-out  behind  us, 
both  to  the  north  and  south,  to  ascertain  that  we 
were  not  pursued.  At  length  we  entered  the  pass 
in  the  mountains  for  which  we  had  been  making, 
and  here  our  difficulties  began.  High  black  cliffs 
towered  above  our  heads  on  each  side  to  the  height 
of  many  hundred  feet,  while  before  us  were  masses 
of  the  wildest  and  most  rugged  mountains,  over 
and  between  which  lay  the  path  we  had  to  pursue. 
Short,  who  had  crossed  the  mountains  at  this  place 
two  or  three  times,  acted  as  our  guide.  Frequently 
one  party  had  to  go  ahead  with  spades  and  clear  the 
way,  and  we  had  also  often  to  take  out  the  horses, 
and  drag  on  one  sleigh,  and  then  come  back  and 
get  the  next.  We  had  reason  to  be  thankful  that 
on  this  occasion  we  had  no  enemy  to  molest  us. 
Old  White  Dog  was  very  much  astonished  to  see 
the  men  work  as  we  did,  and  hinted  that  if  he  had 
the  direction  of  affairs,  he  should  make  the  women 
labor  as  those  of  his  people  are  compelled  to  do, 
while  he  sat  still  in  dignified  idleness.  He  did  not 
gain  many  friends  by  his  remarks  among  the  gen- 
tler sex  of  our  party.     A  sheltered  platform,  sur 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  223 

rounded  by  rocks  on  the  mountain  side,  had  been 
described  by  Short,  and  fixed  on  for  our  resting- 
place.  Up,  up,  up,  we  worked  our  way.  At  last 
we  reached  it,  pretty  well  worn  out.  I  never  felt 
my  legs  ache  so  much  before.  It  had  not  a  very 
inviting  aspect  when  we  were  there.  It  had,  how- 
ever, a  great  advantage,  as  from  its  position  it  might 
easily  be  defended,  should  we  be  pursued  and  at- 
tacked by  the  Flintheads.  Having  driven  our  sleighs 
on  to  it,  we  set  about  the  business  of  encamping. 
As  usual,  we  placed  the  sleighs  in  a  circle,  so  as  to 
form  a  breastwork,  with  the  cattle  inside  it.  The 
side  of  the  mountain  was  covered  with  pine  trees. 
We  cut  down  a  number  of  these,  at  least  so  much 
of  them  as  appeared  above  the  snow,  and  having 
beaten  hard  a  large  circle  in  the  centre  of  the  camp, 
by  walking  over  it  with  our  snow-shoes,  we  placed 
them  side  by  side  so  as  to  form  a  large  platform. 
On  this  we  piled  up  all  the  branches  and  logs  we 
could  collect,  dry  and  green,  and  set  the  mass  on 
fire.  The  platform,  it  will  be  understood,  served  as 
our  hearthstone,  and  kept  the  burning  embers  off 
the  snow.  Otherwise,  they  would  quickly  have 
burnt  out  a  cavern,  into  which  they  would  have 
sunk  and  disappeared.  We  required,  as  may  be 
supposed,  a  large  fire  for  so  numerous  a  party,  and 
it  was  a  curious  sight  to  watch  the  different  coun- 
tenances of  the  travellers,  as  we  sat  round  it  eagerly 
discussing  our  evening  meal.     We  did  not  neglect 


224  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

the  usual  precautions  to  prevent  a  surprise,  and  twc 
of  the  young  men  at  a  time  took  post  as  sentinels  a 
little  way  down  the  mountain,  to  give  timely  notice 
of  the  approach  of  a  foe.  After  supper,  all  the 
party  sang  a  hymn,  led  by  Laban  Ragget,  and  very 
sweet  and  solemn  were  the  notes  as  they  burst 
through  the  night  air,  and  echoed  among  those 
rocks,  never  before,  too  probably,  awakened  to 
sounds  of  praise  and  thanksgiving. 

"  It's  an  old  custom  of  mine,"  said  Laban,  to  me, 
"  when  I  cannot  expound  to  my  family,  or  hold 
forth  in  prayer  as  usual.  If,  Dick,  we  didn't  keep 
up  our  religious  customs  very  strictly  in  the  back 
settlements,  we  should  soon,  as  many  do,  become 
no  better  than  heathens." 

As  I  had  been  on  my  legs  for  the  best  part  of 
the  last  two  days  and  nights,  I  was  excused  doing 
sentry's  duty,  and  no  sooner  had  I  wrapped  myself 
in  my  buffalo  robe,  with  my  feet  toward  the  fire, 
and  my  head  on  a  pine  log,  which  served  me  as  a 
pillow,  than  I  was  fast  asleep.  How  long  I  had 
slept  I  could  not  tell  (it  was,  I  afterwards  found,- 
some  hours),  when  I  was  awoke  by  the  most  un- 
earthly shrieks  and  cries,  which  seemed  to  come 
directly  from  under  the  very  spot  on  which  I  lay. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  225 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

A  tndden  alarm.  —  White  Dog  nearly  roasted.  —  Continue  our  march.  — 
My  young  friends  Gog  and  Magog.  —  Disofpearance  oj  Short  and 
Obed.  —  I  descend  to  search  for  them.  —  A  magnificent  ice  cavern. 
—  Cross  a  frozen  lake.  —  Indians  ahead.  —  Friends. — A  scene  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains. —  Camp,  and  fortify  ourselves.  — Approach  of 
Flintheads.  —  Desperate  conjlicl.  —  An  avalanche  comes  thundering 
down  on  us. 

I  WAS  describing  how  I  was  fast  asleep  in  our  first 
night's  encampment  on  our  winter's  journey  across 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  when  I  was  awoke  by  the 
most  terriffic  cries,  wlience  proceeding  I  could  not 
tell.  I  thought  a  whole  host  of  the  Flintheads 
were  upon  us,  and,  seizing  my  rifle,  sprang  to  my 
feet.  When  I  was  really  awake,  however,  1  found 
that  the  sounds  came  from  under  the  platform,  and 
a  large  hole  near  me  soon  showed  what  had  hap- 
pened. I  had  left  our  friendly  old  chief,  Wabas- 
semmung,  or  the  White  Dog,  fast  asleep  there.  He 
had  selected  it  from  its  being  the  warmest  place 
and  nearest  the  fire.  The  consequence  was,  that 
the  snow  had  there  melted  more  rapidly,  and  a 
ieep  chasm  of  seven  or  eight  feet  having  been 
formed,  he  had  glided  into  it,  and  only  awoke  when 
he  found  the  hot  ashes  coming  showering  down  on 


226  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

his  head,  and  burning  the  tip  of  his  long  nose. 
For  once,  in  his  astonishment  and  fright,  he  forgot 
his  dignity,  and  shrieked  out  as  heartily  as  any 
pale  face.  Laban  and  I  and  Short,  who  were 
nearest,  stooping  down,  soon  dragged  liina  out 
of  his  uncomfortable  position,  and  except  that  his 
nose  was  a  little  burnt,  and  his  feathers  were 
singed,  and  his  cloak  was  a  hue  or  two  darker,  he 
was  not  much  the  worse  for  his  adv-enture.  He 
took  it  very  good-naturedly,  and  seemed  somewha 
ashamed  of  having  expressed  his  terror  in  the  noisy 
way  he  had  done. 

Even  before  dawn  we  were  on  foot,  and,  having 
taken  our  morning  meal,  harnessed  the  horses,  and 
began  our  march.  Our  great  object  was  to  get  to 
a  certain  elevation,  to  which  we  knew  the  Indians 
of  the  plain  could  never  attempt  to  mount,  even 
for  the  sake  of  glutting  their  revenge  on  us.  We 
hoped  also,  should  they  attempt  to  follow  us,  to  be 
better  able  to  defend  ourselves  in  the  mountain 
passes  than,  from  the  smallness  of  our  numbers, 
we  could  in  the  more  open  ground.  In  the  hurry 
of  describing  more  stirring  events,  I  forgot  to 
mention  my  two  young  bears.  I  did  not  like  to 
desert  them,  as  I  might  not  have  an  opportunity  of 
capturing  any  others. 

Laban  at  first  objected  to  my  dragging  them 
along  with  me ;  but  at  length  he  consented,  ob- 
serving, "  Well,  you  know,  Dick,  if  we  get  hungry, 
we'll  eat  'em.'* 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  227 

Of  course  I  could  not  but  consent  to  this  arrange- 
ment. Although  the  full-grown  grizzly  bear  is  the 
most  ferocious  of  the  ursine  race,  these  little  crea 
tures  in  a  few  hours  became  comparatively  tame 
and  contented  with  their  lot.  They  trotted  along- 
side of  me  very  willingly,  and  at  night  lay  coiled 
up  together  like  a  ball  of  wool,  to  keep  each  other 
warm.  I  gave  them  a  small  piece  of  fat  and  a  little 
meal  porridge,  and  that  was  all  they  seemed  to 
want,  besides  sucking  their  paws,  which  they  did  as 
babies  do  their  fists  when  they  are  hungry.  Poor 
little  things !  they  seemed  to  know  that  they  had 
nobody  else  but  me  to  look  to  as  their  friend.  My 
friends,  the  Raggets  and  their  companions,  wero 
very  kind  people,  but  they  had  a  decidedly  prac- 
tical turn,  and  would  have  eaten  my  pets  forthwith, 
if  1  would  have  let  them.  I  called  one  Gog  and 
the  otiier  Magog,  names  about  which  the  honest 
backwoodsmen,  who  had  never  heard  even  of  Guild- 
hall, knew  nothing.  In  appearance  there  was  ver/ 
little  diiference  between  them,  but  there  was  a 
considerable  amount  in  their  characters.  Gog 
became  much  sooner  tame,  and  was  of  a  more 
affectionate,  gentle,  and  peaceable  disposition.  Ma- 
gog would  sit  and  growl  over  any  thing  given  him  to 
play  with,  and  run  off  with  it  away  from  his  brother, 
while  Gog  would  frisk  about,  and  seem  to  take 
pleasure  in  getting  the  other  to  join  in  his  sports. 
Of  course  Gog  became  the  favorite  with  all  hands, 


228  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skiiu : 

and  even  the  children  were  not  afraid  of  playing 
with  him.  whereas  Magog  would  snap  at  them,  and 
very  often  tumbled  them  over  and  hurt  them. 

"  I  say,  Dick,"  said  Obed  to  me,  "  if  we  want  food, 
we'll  eat  that  Magog  of  yours  up  first." 

That  is  wliat  Magog  got  for  his  surliness  and  ill- 
temper. 

We  continued  to  push  on  over  the  mountain- 
range.  It  was  not  all  ascent.  Sometimes  we  came 
to  a  level  on  a  wide  open  space,  where  there  was  not 
much  snow,  and  then  we  got  on  rapidly.  Our  only 
passage  through  one  part  of  the  route  was  up  the 
bed  of  a  torrent  frozen  hard  and  covered  with  snow. 
It  was  very  heavy  work,  but  Short  assured  us  that 
it  would  not  last  long,  so  we  pushed  on. 

Obed,  Short,  and  I,  with  others,  were  clearing  the 
way  with  our  spades,  when  suddenly,  without  the 
slightest  warning,  the  two  first,  who  were  ahead  of 
rae,  went  right  tlirough  the  ice  and  disappeared. 
Horror  almost  overcame  me,  for  I  knew  that  the 
torrent  would  have  the  power  of  sweeping  them 
down  in  an  instant  far  out  of  our  sight.  Obed  was 
my  greatest  friend.  Short's  loss  to  all  the  party  was 
irreparable.  Tlie  three  other  men  with  me  and  1 
shouted  to  our  friends,  several  of  whom  had  long 
poles  to  assist  tlieir  progress,  to  hasten  to  our  aid. 
Fastening  four  of  these  together,  two  and  two,  I 
secured  a  rope  round  my  body,  which  the  others 
held,  and  then  worked  myself  forward  till  I  was  ovei 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  229 

the  hole.  Another  rope  was  made  fast  to  the  poles  ; 
by  this  I  descended.  I  was  surprised  to  find  the 
chasm  so  deep,  for  I  thought  that  I  should  see  the 
water  rushing  down  a  little  below  the  surface.  In- 
stead of  that  there  was  below  the  hole  a  hard,  very 
nearly  smooth  floor.  I  lowered  myself  gently,  and 
found  it  perfectly  firm  and  strong ;  but,  alas !  neither 
Obed  nor  Short  were  to  be  seen.  Under  other  cir- 
cumstances I  should  have  been  delighted  with  the 
appearance  of  the  place  in  which  I  found  myself. 
It  was  like  a  magnificent  cavern  of  the  purest  white 
marble,  ornamented  with  glass  stalactites  of  the  most 
brilliant  rainbow  hues.  I  should  call  it  rather  a 
gallery,  because  it  extended  up  and  down  to  an 
indefinite  distance.  No  work  of  art  could  be  more 
light  or  graceful. 

But  my  thoughts  were  with  my  friends,  and  all 
the  beauty  which  surrounded  me  seemed  only  to 
mock  my  anxiety  for  their  fate.  I  heard  thoso 
above,  Laban  Ragget  and  his  sons,  asking  eagerly 
if  I  had  found  them,  and  I  had  to  answer  mourn- 
fully, "  No."  Still  I  saw  that  they  could  not  have 
gone  through  the  ice  into  the  stream  itself,  for  that 
everywhere  appeared  unbroken.  Then  it  struck 
me  that,  as  the  floor  was  an  inclined  plane,  they  had 
probably  slipped  down  over  the  smooth  surface  with- 
out meeting  any  thing  to  stop  them.  This  was  a 
solution  of  the  problem  of  the  cause  of  their  disap- 
pearance, but  it  did  not  relieve  my  anxiety  as  to 

20 


280         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

their  fate.  I  sung  out  to  ray  friends  above  to 
lengthen  the  rope  as  far  as  they  could,  for  I  had  no 
inclination  to  proceed  without  it,  and  slid  down  to 
as  great  a  distance  as  its  length  would  allow  me  to 
move.  I  shouted  and  shouted,  but  there  was  no 
answer.  I  began  truly  to  despair.  "  Poor  fellows, 
they  must  be  gone,"  I  thought.  "  It  will  be  a  sad 
report  I  must  take  to  Laban." 

I  began  to  ascend  to  get  under  the  hole  again.  I 
found  that  I  could  easily  crawl  up  the  incline  on 
hands  and  knees.  I  turned  to  rest  for  an  instant, 
and  thought  that  I  would  give  one  shout  more. 
There  was  a  roaring,  rumbling  noise  of  the  water 
underneath,  which  made  it  necessary  to  sing  out  very 
sliarply  to  be  heard  at  any  distance.  I  therefore 
shrieked  out  this  time  at  the  very  top  of  my  voice. 

A  few  instants  passed  while  the  echoes  died  away, 
and  then  a  faint  cry  came  up  from  far,  far  down  the 
long  ice  gallery.  It  was  repeated.  Tliere  could  be 
no  doubt  that  it  was  from  my  friends.  I  waited  to 
consider  whether  I  should  return  and  get  others  to 
come  down  with  more  ropes,  so  that  should  Short 
and  Obed  have  fallen  into  an  ice-pit,  we  might  help 
them  out ;  or  whether  it  was  best  to  wait  and  see  if 
they  were  working  their  own  way  up,  as  I  found 
from  experience  they  might  be  able  to  do.  It  was 
while  thus  waiting  for  them  that  I  was  able  to 
admire  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  The  floor  was  dark 
blue,  the  sides  were  white,  and  the  ceiling  was  of 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  231 

every  variety  of  green  and  red  and  yellow,  and  in 
some  places  so  transparent  that  it  seemed  surprising 
that  any  person,  much  less  a  horse  or  sleigh,  could 
have  passed  over  it  without  breaking  through  ;  then 
there  were  in  the  distance  arches  and  columns  and 
whole  buildings  and  statues  of  every  grotesque  form 
imaginable,  at  least  so  my  imagination  carved  out 
the  excrescences  and  masses  of  ice  I  saw  piled  up  in 
a  long  vista  before  me.  I  did  not  stay  long  without 
shouting  again,  and  once  more  the  voices  of  my 
friends  assured  me  that  they  were  drawing  near. 
My  heart  was  now  much  lighter,  and  at  length  I 
caught  sight  of  their  heads  as  they  crawled  up  like 
two  four-footed  creatures  in  the  distance.  I  was 
truly  glad  when  they  got  up  to  me;  they  had  been, 
they  owned,  not  slightly  alarmed,  and  were,  they 
showed,  very  tired  and  out  of  breath. 

On  breaking  through  the  ice,  the  impetus  they 
got  sent  them  sliding  down  the  sloping  floor  at  so 
great  a  rate  that  they  could  not  stop  themselves. 
On,  on  they  went,  not  knowing  when  their  journey 
would  end ;  but  dreading  that  it  might  be  into  some 
deep  hole,  or  perhaps  the  torrent  itself.  They  were 
well  pleased,  therefore,  when  they  brought  up  sud- 
denly against  a  mass  of  rock  which  rose  out  of  tho 
bed  of  the  stream ;  and  doubly  grateful  were  they 
when,  on  looking  beyond  it,  they  saw  that  on  the 
other  side  there  was  a  deep  fall  through  which  the 
water  itself  was  forcing  its  way. 


232  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

We  were  all  soon  dragged  up  again  to  the  sur- 
face, and  though  I  described  the  magnificence  of 
the  icy  gallery,  no  one  seemed  inclined  to  pay  it  a 
visit.  We  had  now  to  drag  our  sleighs  up  a  steep 
bank,  and  to  proceed  with  the  greatest  caution,  our 
progress  being  very  slow.  At  last  we  once  more 
got  on  level  ground,  and  soon  reached  a  long  nar- 
row lake,  out  of  which  the  torrent  descended.  This 
accounted  for  there  being  water  under  the  ice. 
Many  of  the  torrents  we  came  to  were  frozen  com- 
pletely through. 

It  may  seem  in  theory  very  pleasant  work  walk- 
ing in  snow-shoes  over  the  smooth  surface  of  the 
snow,  often  high  up  among  the  boughs  of  trees, 
and  level  with  the  roofs  of  cottages ;  but  when  a 
person  is  not  accustomed  to  the  proceeding,  it  be- 
comes painful  in  the  extreme. 

Snow-shoes  are  frames  of  light  wood  from  four 
to  six  feet  long,  pointed  at  both  ends  like  a  boat. 
The  intermediate  space  is  filled  up  with  network. 
They  are  secured  to  the  feet  by  leathern  thongs, 
and  there  is  a  hole  in  which  the  heel  works.  From 
their  shape  and  size  they  present  a  very  wide  sur- 
face to  the  snow,  and  prevent  the  walker  from 
sinking  in. 

Great  care  is  required  in  fastening  the  thongs, 
which  must  be  tight;  but  if  they  are  too  tight, 
when  they  get  wet,  as  they  frequently  do,  and 
shrink,  they  cut  into  the  ankles  and  cause  serious 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  233 

injury.  Often  the  feet  are  so  benumbed  with  thft 
cold  that,  at  the  time,  no  pain  is  felt,  and  it  is  only 
when  the  sufferer  comes  to  take  oflf  his  shoes,  that 
he  finds  the  thongs  have  disappeared  in  a  mass  of 
swelling.  We  had  no  fears  as  to  the  ice  on  the 
lake  bearing  us,  so  we  merrily  slid  on  to  it,  and  pro- 
ceeded faster  than  we  had  done  since  we  left  the 
camp.  The  horses  especially  seem  to  enjoy  the 
ease  with  which  they  dragged  on  the  loads  which 
had  before  seemed  so  heavy,  while  the  rest  of  us, 
taking  off  our  snow-shoes,  glided  over  the  smooth 
surface  as  rapidly  as  they  did.  Fortunately,  but 
little  snow  had  fallen  in  this  region,  and  the  wind 
had  blown  it  off  the  ice.  This  was  the  first,  and 
indeed  only  advantage  we  gained  by  travelling  be- 
fore the  frost  broke  up.  Had  we  not  begun  our 
journey  as  we  were  now  doing,  we  should  have  had 
to  wait  several  weeks  longer,  till  the  snows  had 
melted  from  the  mountain  tops,  and  the  streams 
had  subsided  to  tlieir  usual  level.  Still  we  could 
not  conceal  from  ourselves  that  we  had  many  dan- 
gers to  encounter,  even  should  we  not  be  pursued 
by  the  Red  Skins. 

I  was  generally  in  the  van  with  Obed  and  Short 
and  my  two  bears.  I  did  not  venture  to  let  the 
Master  Bruins  go  loose,  but  yoked  them  together, 
and  liad  a  rope  fastened  to  them  besides.  Thus 
united  they  waddled  on  ;  not  lovingly,  for  very 
often  they  grumbled  and  growled,  and  seemed  to 
20  » 


234  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  ^ins : 

be  making  far  from  pleasant  remarks  to  each  other. 
They  kept  on  all  fours,  it  must  be  understood. 
Bears  only  stand  on  their  hind  legs  when  they  have 
learned  to  dance,  or  are  going  to  eat  a  man,  or  at 
all  events  are  standing  at  bay.  On  reaching  the 
end  of  the  lake  we  found  that  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  day  had  been  spent,  but  still  we  had 
some  distance  to  go  before  we  could  reach  the  spot 
proposed  for  our  camping-ground.  However,  it 
was  thought  advisable  to  push  on.  I  suggested  to 
Short  that  it  might  have  been  better  to  camp  on  the 
shore  of  the  lake. 

"  So  it  would,  Dick,  if  we  hadn't  to  guard  against 
these  cunning  Red  Skins.  But  old  White  Dog  has 
heard,  and  I  believe  that  he  is  right,  that  there  is 
another  path  over  the  mountains,  which  leads  to 
the  very  spot  near  where  we  propose  camping ;  at 
least  a  little  to  this  side  of  it.  Now,  if  our  enemies 
know  of  this,  and  it's  not  likely  they'll  be  ignorant, 
and  they  make  chase  after  us,  some  of  the  cunning 
varmints  will  take  that  path  to  cut  us  off,  depend 
on't.  We  haven't  told  the  women  of  it,  nor  the 
men  generally,  because  there's  no  use  making  them 
anxious  till  the  time  comes  ;  and  then  there's  no 
fear  but  that  they'll  all  behave  as  they  ought." 

I  could  not  but  admire  the  calm  self-possession 
of  my  friends,  who,  in  expectation  of  so  fearful  an 
event,  could  show  so  little  concern,  and  at  the  same 
time  placed  such  implicit  confidence  in  the  nerve 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  235 

and  courage  of  their  companions.  I  must  own  that 
I  felt  very  anxious,  and  carefully  examined  the 
lock  of  my  rifle,  and  assured  myself  that  I  had 
properly  loaded  it.  Soon  after  this  we  entered  a 
broad  defile  with  high  broken  rocks  on  either  side 
us,  beyond  which  towered  up  to  the  sky  the  white 
masses  of  the  mountain-tops.  The  defile  as  we  ad- 
vanced gradually  narrowed,  till  I  found  that  we 
were  approaching  a  narrow  gorge  with  cliffs  rising 
on  each  side  almost  perpendicularly  above  it.  Just 
then  I  thought  that  I  saw  something  moving  among 
the  rocks  before  us.  I  asked  Short.  His  quick 
eye  had  detected  the  movement. 

"  Indjens,"  he  exclaimed.     "  Oh  !  the  treacher 
ous  varmints." 

Scarcely  had  he  uttered  the  word  than  from  be- 
hind the  rocks  in  our  front  up  sprang  a  numerous 
band  of  Indians  in  war  paint  and  feathers,  uttering 
the  most  terrific  shrieks  and  cries,  and  dancing  and 
leaping  about  in  the  most  extraordinary  manner. 
Our  rifles  were  in  a  moment  in  our  hands.  I  was 
on  the  point  of  firing  at  an  Indian  whom  I  had  cov- 
ered, when  old  White  Dog  rushed  to  the  front,  ex- 
claiming what  Short  interpreted  to  mean,  "  Don't 
fire ;  they  are  friends,  my  people." 

This  was  satisfactory  information,  for,  however 
pleasant  fighting  may  be  to  some  people,  in  our 
case  it  would  not  bring  either  honor  or  plunder. 
The  fact  was  that,  posted  as  they  were,  they  might, 


236  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

had  they  been  enemies,  have  picked  us  off,  suppos- 
ing they  had  rifles,  without  our  being  able  in  any 
way  to  get  at  them,  except  by  climbing  up  the 
rocks,  when  of  course  they  would  have  picked  us 
off  in  detail.  After  White  Dog's  followers  had 
amused  themselves  sufficiently  with  dancing  and 
shrieking,  they  came  down  from  their  position,  and 
paid  their  respects  to  their  chief,  who  inquired  how 
it  was  they  happened  to  be  where  we  had  found 
them.  They  all  seemed  to  be  very  eager  to  tell 
him,  but  he  selected  one  as  the  spokesman,  and 
told  him  to  narrate  what  had  occurred.  It  ap- 
peared that  after  their  chief  had  left  them  they 
got  notice  that  the  Flintheads  purposed  to  attack 
their  lodges  and  destroy  them.  To  avoid  this 
result  they  had  packed  up  their  goods  and  fled 
from  the  spot,  merely  leaving  some  scouts  to  watch 
the  proceedings  of  their  enemies.  They  had  not 
to  wait  long  before  they  observed  a  party  of  war- 
riors approaching.  This  party  seemed  very  much 
disappointed  at  finding  their  lodges  deserted. 
Having  set  fire  to  every  thing  that  would  burn, 
they  continued  their  route  toward  our  camp,  fol- 
lowed closely  by  the  scouts.  When  these  saw  them 
enter  within  the  intrenchments,  they  instantly  set 
off  back  to  their  companions.  A  council  was  then 
held,  when  it  was  agreed  that  it  was  their  duty  to 
set  off  to  help  their  chief,  who  might  be  in  danger. 
Old  White  Dog  had,  I  found,  left  directions  out- 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  237 

side  our  camp,  which  they  would  clearly  under- 
stand, telling  them  to  follow  him.  On  reaching  the 
camp  they  found  that  we  had  deserted  it,  but  before 
going  on,  they  very  naturally  took  a  glance  round 
inside.  There  they  found  the  unfortunate  Flint- 
heads  whom  we  had  left  bound. 

"  I  hope.  Short,"  said  I,  "  that  they  respected  our 
intentions,  and  left  them  there  unhurt." 

"  They  left  them  there,  you  may  be  sure,  Dick," 
answered  Sam,  quietly.  "  But  you  may  be  equally 
sure  that  they  cut  the  throats  of  every  mother's  son 
of  them." 

"  Cruel,  murderous  wretches  !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  It's  their  way  of  doing  things,"  said  Sam.  "  As 
they  are  taught  in  their  youth,  so  they  act  now 
they've  grown  up.  If  you  had  been  taught  to  scalp 
your  enemies  when  you  were  a  boy,  you'd  do  the 
same  with  pleasure  now,  whenever  you  had  a 
chance ! " 

I  could  not  deny  that  this  would  too  probably 
have  been  the  case,  and  therefore  made  no  further 
remarks  on  the  subject,  only  feeling  thankful  chat  I 
had  been  born  in  a  Christian  land,  and  brought  up 
with  Christian  principles. 

The  meeting  with  these  Indians  caused  another 
short  defay,  and  they  and  their  wives,  and  children, 
and  dogs,  falling  into  the  rear  of  our  party,  we  all 
proceeded  together.  The  women  and  children,  I 
ought  to  have  said,  had  been  hid  away  among  the 


238  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

rocks,  and  were  only  produced  at  the  last  momei.t, 
as  we  were  moving  on.  We  could  not  object  to 
White  Dog's  tribe  accompanying  us,  but  as  they 
came  but  scantily  furnished  with  provisions  we  were 
under  considerable  apprehension  that  they  would 
create  a  famine  in  our  camp. 

A  strong  party  of  us,  consisting  of  Short  and 
Noggin,  and  some  of  the  Raggets  and  myself,  with 
old  White  Dog  and  several  of  his  tribe,  now  pushed 
on  to  occupy  the  pass  which  led  into  the  one 
through  which  we  were  travelling.  We  soon  reached 
it,  and,  climbing  up  the  surrounding  heiglits,  looked 
around.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  range,  not  a 
moving  obstacle  was  visible  ;  all  was  silent  and  sol- 
itary. We  had  purposely  concealed  ourselves  in 
case  an  enemy  should  be  approaching,  and  as  I 
stood  on  that  mountain  height  looking  out  into  the 
distance  over  interminable  snow-covered  ranges  of 
rock,  I  was  more  sensible  than  I  had  ever  before 
been  of  the  sensation  of  solitude  ;  never  before  had 
I  remarked  silence  so  perfect.  Truly  it  seemed  as 
if  nature  was  asleep.  So  she  was  ;  it  was  the  sleep 
of  winter. 

In  England,  where  birds  are  constantly  flying 
about,  and  often  insects  humming,  even  at  Christ- 
mas, we  have  no  conception  of  the  utter  ^ant  of  all 
appearance  of  life  in  the  mountain  regions  in  which 
I  was  now  travelling.  We  waited  on  the  watch  till 
the  main  body  of  our  party  came  up,  and  then,  see- 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  239 

ing  no  enemies,  pushed  on  to  our  camping-ground. 
I  must  say  that  I  was  very  glad  to  get  there  without 
meeting  with  the  Flintheads.  I  felt  sure  that  as 
soon  as  they  found  out  the  fate  of  their  fri(mds,  they 
would  track  us,  and,  if  they  could,  not  leave  one  of 
our  party  alive.  Probably  Laban  and  others  thought 
the  same,  but  wisely  kept  their  thoughts  to  them- 
selves. 

We  fortified  ourselves  as  usual,  and  kept  a  strict 
watch  during  the  night.  The  weather  was  much 
less  cold  than  it  had  been  ;  indeed,  there  were  evi- 
dent signs  of  the  coming  of  spring,  and  it  became 
more  than  ever  evident  that  we  must  push  on  before 
the  frozen  up  torrents  should  again  burst  forth,  and 
render  many  spots  impassable.  After  a  hurried 
breakfast,  we  were  once  more  on  our  way ;  we 
marched  in  true  military  order,  with  an  advanced 
and  a  rear  guard ;  the  first  carried  spades,  and 
acted  as  a  pioneer  corps.  This  morning  I  was  in 
the  rear  guard,  with  Obed  and  Short,  and  all  the 
Indians  with  their  old  chief.  We  had  marched 
about  a  mile,  and  had  just  entered  one  of  the  defiles 
I  have  spoken  of,  with  lofty  cliffs  on  each  side,  and 
the  mountains  rising  it  seemed  sheer  up  above  our 
heads  for  thousands  of  feet,  when  I  saw  the  Indians 
prick  up  their  ears ;  then  they  stopped  and  bent 
down  to  the  ground  as  if  to  listen.  There  was  a 
great  talking  among  them,  and  old  White  Dog 
called  to  Short :  and  Short  announced  to  us  the  un« 


2 10         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

pleasant  information  that  we  were  pursued  by  a 
large  body  of  Flintlieads.  They  could  not  have 
overtaken  our  party  in  a  position  more  advantageous 
to  us ;  for  from  the  narrowness  of  tlic  pass,  even 
should  they  be  very  superior  in  numbers,  we  could 
show  as  good  a  front  as  they  could.  While  our 
main  body  moved  on  with  the  women  and  cliildren 
and  goods,  I  and  about  a  dozen  young  men  remained 
with  the  Indians  to  defend  the  pass,  and  to  drive 
back,  if  we  could,  our  enemies. 

"  There's  one  thing  we  may  look  for,"  observed 
Sam  short ;  "  they'll  fight  to  the  last  gasp,  rather 
than  lose  the  chance  of  their  revenge ;  only  don't 
let  any  of  us  get  into  their  hands  alive,  that's  all ; 
they'd  try  our  nerves  in  a  way  we  should  not  like, 
depend  on  that." 

Every  man  among  us  looked  to  his  rifle,  and  felt 
that  his  hunting-knife  was  ready  to  his  hand  in  his 
belt.  We  advanced  a  little  further,  and  then  halted 
at  a  spot  where  it  seemed  impossible  that  the  Indians 
could  scale  the  heights  to  get  at  us.  We  had  not 
long  to  wait.  Suddenly  before  us  appeared  a  band 
of  Indians  just  turning  an  angle  of  the  pass.  On 
they  came  at  a  rapid  pace,  till  the  whole  road,  far 
as  the  eye  could  reach,  seemed  full  of  them.  As 
soon  as  they  perceived  us,  they  set  up  the  most 
terrific  yells,  and  rushed  frantically  forward.  We 
waited  for  them  steadily,  but  I  feared,  by  the  very 
force  of  their  charge,  that  our  people  would  be 
overthrown  and  driven  back. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  241 

"  Now,  lads,"  exclaimed  Labaii,  as  they  came  on, 
"  be  steady.  Wait  till  I  give  the  word.  Fire  low. 
Don't  let  the  bullets  fly  over  their  heads.  Bring 
down  the  leading  men.     Now  ready  —  Fire  !  " 

All  obeyed  our  brave  leader,  and  several  in  the 
front  ranks  of  the  enemy  fell.  Yet  it  did  not  stop 
tlie  rest,  but,  rushing  on  with  the  fiercest  shrieks, 
they  threw  themselves  madly  upon  our  party.  The 
White  Dog's  followers  bore  the  brunt  of  the  charge, 
and  very  gallantly  did  they  behave.  Again  and 
again  the  Flintheads  were  driven  back,  and  again 
and  again  they  came  on.  They  seemed  resolved  to 
conquer  or  die.  There  must  have  been  nearly  a 
hundred  warriors  among  them.  The  air  was  at  times 
darkened  with  their  arrows,  besides  which  a  number 
had  rifles.  Four  or  five  of  our  Indian  allies  had 
been  killed,  as  had  one  of  our  people,  and  numbers 
had  been  wounded.  We  kept  up  at  them  a  hot 
fire  all  the  time,  and  many  of  tliem  fell.  Still,  in 
proportion  to  our  numbers,  we  had  lost  more  men 
than  they  had.  Once  more  the  whole  column 
rushed  on  together.  I  fully  thought  that  we  were 
lost,  when,  as  I  glanced  my  eye  upward,  I  saw  what 
I  fancied  was  the  mountain-top  bend  forward.  Yes, 
I  was  not  mistaken !  Down  it  came  with  a  wild 
rushing  noise  directly  toward  us,  shaking  the  very 
ground  on  which  we  stood.  The  Indians  saw  it  too, 
but  it  did  not  stop  them,  as  with  headlong  speed 
they  were  rushing  toward  us,  about  to  make  another 

21 


242  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

onslaiiglit.  They  and  White  Dog's  people  met,  and 
tlie  last  I  saw  of  them  they  were  dashing  their 
tomahawks  into  each  other's  brains. 

I  shouted  frantically  to  Laban  and  the  rest  to 
retreat.  It  was  a  mighty  avalanche,  a  vast  mass 
of  snow  and  ice.  As  it  descended  it  increased  in 
size,  gathering  fresh  speed.  As  one  mast  of  a  ship 
drags  another  in  its  fall,  so  did  one  mountain-top 
seem  to  lay  hold  of  the  one  next  to  it,  and  bring  it 
downwards  into  the  valley.  Down,  down  camo 
the  mountains  of  snow,  thundering,  roaring,  rush- 
ing. My  brain  seemed  to  partake  of  the  wild 
commotion.  I  cannot  attempt  to  describe  the  effect. 
I  was  leaping,  running,  springing  back  from  the 
enemy,  with  every  muscle  exerted  to  the  utmost,  in 
the  direction  the  women  and  baggage  had  gone. 
Laban  and  his  sons  were  near  me,  I  believed,  but 
already  dense  showers  of  snow,  or  ratlier  solid 
masses,  the  avant-couriers  of  the  avalanche,  were 
falling  down  on  us,  and  preventing  me  seeing  any 
thing  many  feet  from  where  I  was.  Unearthly 
shrieks  and  cries  of  terror  and  despair  reached  my 
ears ;  a  mass  of  snow  struck  me,  and  brought  me 
to  the  ground  deprived  of  consciousness. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  243 


CHAPTER  XV. 

IJind  myself'  under  the  snow.  —  My  attempts  to  escape  appear  to  be  vain. 
—  Struggle  on.  —  Am  free,  hit  fnd  myself  aUnie  among  the  moun- 
tains. —  FiLsh  on.  —  Encounter  a  yi-izcly  bear.  —  A  fight.  —  Will  he 
eat  me,  or  shall  I  eat  him  f  —  The  pleasantest  alternative  occurs,  and 
Bruin  saves  my  life.  —  /  hurry  on  in  the  hopes  of  overtaking  my 
friends.  —  Take  up  my  lodging  for  the  night  iti  a  cavern. 

When  I  saw  the  avalanche  come  thundering 
down  toward  me,  although  I  used  my  utmost  ex- 
ertions to  escape,  I  in  reality  had  completely  given 
myself  up  for  lost.  My  feelings  were  very  bitter, 
but  they  were  of  short  duration,  when  I  was  brought 
stunned  to  the  ground.  I  came  to  myself  at  last, 
or  I  should  not  be  writing  this ;  but  where  I  was, 
or  what  bad  occurred,  it  was  some  time  before  I 
could  recollect.  At  last  a  dim  consciousness  came 
over  me  that  something  terrific  had  happened,  and 
I  opened  my  eyes  and  loqked  about ;  I  was  under 
the  snow,  or  rather  under  a  mass  of  ice,  in  a  space 
ten  or  twelve  feet  long,  and  about  three  high,  being 
rather  wider  at  the  base.  This  was  a  veiy  respect- 
able-sized tomb,  and  such  I  feared  that  it  would 
prove  to  me,  unless  I  could  work  my  way  out  of  it. 
Of  course  I  knew  that  I  might  be  released  when  the 
snow  melted,  but  I  should  inevitably  be  starved 


244  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

long  before  that  event  could  take  place,  not  to  speal? 
of  dying  of  chill,  and  damp,  and  rheumatism.  My 
principle  has  always  been  never  to  say  die  ;  if  it 
had  been  otherwise  I  should  not  be  again  in  Old 
England.  My  rifle  lay  on  the  ground  close  to  me 
where  I  had  fallen  ;  my  hand  still  grasped  the  long 
pike  I  always  carried,  and  the  ever  constant  weapon 
of  the  backwoodsman,  my  liatchet,  was  in  my  belt. 
I  crawled  along  to  one  end  of  the  icy  cavern,  tap- 
ping the  roof  to  ascertain  if  there  was  any  crack 
through  which  I  may  work  my  way,  but  it  was  one 
solid  sheet  of  ice  ;  the  end  was  blocked  up  also  by 
a  solid  mass,  through  which,  after  making  several 
attempts,  I  found  it  impossible  to  bore.  Finding 
all  my  efforts  useless  at  this  end,  I  went  to  the 
other.  Appearances  were  not  promising ;  still  I 
would  not  allow  myself  to  believe  that,  by  some 
means  or  other,  I  might  not  work  my  way  out  of  my 
icy  prison.  Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost ;  my 
friends  might  go  away  and  suppose  I  had  perished, 
or  I  might  be  starved  or  exhausted  before  I  could 
reach  the  open  air.  It  was  a  great  thing  having  a 
little  space  to  start  from,  though  it  was  little  enough. 
I  set  to  work  at  once,  therefore,  with  my  axe,  and 
began  chopping  away  at  the  ice.  My  idea  was  to 
cut  myself  out  a  circular  shaft,  and  thus,  like  a 
mole,  work  my  way  up.  I  chopped  and  chopped 
away,  and  wheu  1  had  cut  a  couple  of  feet  out  of 
the  mass,  I  carried  the  chips  to  the  further  end  of 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  245 

the  cave ;  my  object  in  doing  this  was  to  obtain 
sufficient  air  to  breathe,  for  I  found  that  I  very  soon 
consumed  what  there  was  in  the  cave,  and  that  the 
heat  of  my  body  had  already  begun  to  melt  the  ice 
above  me.  I  suffered,  therefore,  rather  from  heat 
than  from  cold  ;  I  went  chopping  on  till  I  had  space 
enough  in  which  to  stand  upright.  This  was  a  very 
great  advantage  ;  I  felt  most  encouraged,  and  could 
now  work  with  far  greater  ease  than  at  first,  when 
I  had  to  be  on  my  back,  and  to  chop  away  above 
me.  I  felt  very  thankful  that  I  was  not  a  miner, 
either  in  a  coal,  iron,  or  lead  mine.  Sometimes,  as 
I  was  working  away,  I  fancied  that  I  heard  the 
voices  of  my  friends  calling  to  me,  but  when  I 
stopped  there  was  again  a  perfect  silence.  On  I 
went  again,  but  still  it  appeared  as  if  I  was  as  far 
as  ever  from  getting  out  of  my  prison.  I  had  now 
cut  my  shaft  as  high  as  I  could  reach,  so  I  had  to 
make  steps  in  the  walls,  on  which  I  could  stand 
while  I  worked  upwards.  This  I  did  till  I  had  got 
up  a  dozen  feet  or  more.  It  showed  me  the  great 
thickness  of  the  block  of  ice  which  had  fallen  above 
me,  and  how  mercifully  I  had  been  preserved,  for, 
had  it  come  upon  me,  it  would  have  crushed  me  as 
tliin  as  a  pancake.  I  was  now  exposed  to  a  new 
danger ;  should  I  fall  as  I  was  tunnelling  away,  I 
should  break  my  legs.  I  already  had  removed,  as  I 
said,  a  considerable  portion  of  the  ice  I  had  cut  out 
to  the  other  end  of  the  cavern.     I  now  saw  that  it 

21* 


ti46  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Shins: 

would  be  better  not  to  remove  any  more ;  so,  secur- 
ing my  rifle  at  my  back,  and  taking  my  pike  in  my 
left  hand,  which,  indeed,  I  found  very  useful  in 
keeping  me  firm,  I  determined  not  again  to  descend, 
but  to  continue  working  upwards  as  long  as  I  had 
strength  left.  To  decrease  the  risk  of  falling  down, 
I  contracted  the  diameter  of  my  shaft,  and  thus  got 
on  also  faster.  At  length,  as  I  gave  a  blow  above 
my  head,  what  was  my  satisfaction  to  feel  that  my 
axe  had  entered  a  mass  of  snow.  Ask  an  engineer 
if  he  would  rather  bore  under  a  river  with  a  rocky, 
or  a  sandy  and  muddy  bed,  and  he  will  tell  you 
that  the  rock  he  can  manage,  but  that  the  sand  or 
mud  is  very  likely  to  baffle  him.  So  I  found  with 
regard  to  the  snow ;  I  got  on  rapidly  through  the 
ice,  but  as  I  worked  up  through  the  snow,  I  had 
reason  to  dread  every  instant  that  the  superincum- 
bent mass  would  fall  in  and  smother  me.  I  found 
that  I  made  the  most  progress  by  scraping  it  down 
and  beating  it  hard  under  my  feet,  forming  a  rude 
stair  as  I  went  on.  I  had  got  up  ten  feet  or  so 
through  it,  when  either  my  foot  had  slipped,  or  a 
mass  of  siiow  had  come  down  upon  me,  I  could 
not  then  tell ;  but  I  know,  to  my  horror,  that  I  felt 
myself  sent  toppling  down,  heels  over  head,  as  I 
feared,  to  the  bottom  of  the  shaft.  I  began  to  give 
myself  up  for  lost,  and  would  have  shrieked  out ; 
perhaps  I  did  so,  in  very  grief  and  disappointment, 
more  than  through  actual  fear,  when  I  found  that  I 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  247 

was  brought  up  by  my  pike,  which  had  become  fixed 
across  the  shaft.  I  held  on  for  some  time  till  the 
snow  had  ceased  sliding  down  below  me,  and  then 
I  looked  up,  and  there  to  my  delight  I  saw,  far 
above  me,  through  a  narrow  aperture,  the  clear 
blue  sky.  I  now  could  have  shouted  for  joy ;  but 
my  emancipation  was  not  yet  complete,  the  smooth 
side  of  the  funnel  was  to  be  scaled. 

Having  secured  my  pike,  I  set  about  it.  I  tried  to 
run  up  and  gain  the  height  by  a  dash.  That  would 
not  do,  I  quickly  found,  for  the  snow  slid  down  with 
my  feet  as  fast  as  I  could  lift  them,  and  that  made 
still  more  come  sliding  toward  me.  The  only  way 
to  gain  the  top  was  by  slow  and  patient  progress,  I 
discovered,  after  many  experiments.  I  therefore 
carefully  made  step  above  step,  beating  each  one 
down  hard  as  I  progressed,  and  with  infinite  satis- 
faction I  found  that  I  was  again  making  an  upward 
progress.  At  last  my  perseverance  was  rewarded 
with  success,  and  I  found  myself  standing  on  a  vast 
mass  of  snow,  which  blocked  up  the  whole  of  the 
valley  for  a  considerable  distance  on  the  eastern  side 
and  for  some  way  on  the  west,  so  far,  indeed,  that 
my  first  delight  at  my  own  deliverance  was  very 
much  damped  by  the  fears  which  seized  me  for  the 
safety  of  my  friends  and  companions.  There  I  stood, 
in  the  most  silent  and  complete  solitude,  amid  a 
heaving  ocean,  as  it  were,  of  snow,  with  the  dark 
granite  peaks  rising  up  here  and  there  out  of  it,  and 


248  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

increasing  the  appearance  of  bleakness  and  desola- 
tion which  reigned  around.  I  shouted  again  and 
again,  in  the  hopes  that  possibly  some  of  my  com- 
panions might  be  within  hearing ;  but  my  voice 
sounded  faint,  and  indeed  almost  inaudible,  it 
seemed,  while  no  echoes  reached  me  from  the  sur- 
rounding rocks.  I  did  not,  however,  waste  much 
time  in  hallooing,  for  instant  action  was  what  was 
required.  I  felt  very  hungry,  and  that  fact  made 
me  suppose  that  I  must  have  been  some  time  in  my 
icy  cavern  before  I  returned  to  a  state  of  conscious- 
ness. I  took  out  my  watch,  it  had  stopped.  It  was 
early  in  the  morning  when  the  Indians  had  attacked 
us.  The  sun  had  not  now  risen  any  considerable 
height  in  the  eastern  sky.  This  made  me  feel  sure 
that  one  whole  day,  if  not  more,  had  passed  since 
the  catastrophe,  and  that  if  I  would  preserve  my 
life  I  must  push  on  to  overtake  the  travellers.  I 
had  left  my  snow-shoes  in  the  camp,  so  that  I  had 
great  difficulty  often  in  making  my  way  over  the 
snow  in  some  of  the  spots  where  it  lay  most  loosely. 
More  than  once  I  sank  up  to  my  shoulders,  and  had 
it  not  been  for  my  pike  I  should  have  had  great 
difficulty  in  scrambling  out  again.  I  had  got  on 
some  way,  and  was  congratulating  myself  on  having 
got  over  the  worst  of  it,  when  I  felt  the  snow  giving 
way  under  my  feet.  I  tried  to  spring  forward,  but 
that  only  made  me  sink  down  faster ;  down,  down, 
I  went  in  a  huge  drift.     I  had  sunk  to  my  middle  * 


'  An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  249 

then  the  snowy  mass  rose  to  my  shoulders,  and,  to 
my  horror,  I  found  it  closing  over  my  head.  Though 
I  knew  if  I  went  lower  I  might  struggle  on  for  some 
time,  yet  that  death  would  be  equally  certain  in  tlie 
end.  My  feelings  were  painful  in  the  extreme.  I 
could  not  get  my  pole  across  above  me,  but  I  suc- 
ceeded in  shoving  it  down  below  my  feet,  and,  to 
my  infinite  relief,  after  I  had  made  several  plunges, 
it  struck  the  point  of  a  rock  or  a  piece  of  ice.  I 
kept  it  fixed  there  with  all  the  strength  I  could  com- 
mand, and  pressing  myself  upward  got  sufficiently 
high  to  throw  myself  flat  on  the  snow  and  to  scram- 
ble forward.  This  I  did  for  some  distance,  holding 
ray  staff  with  both  hands  before  me.  It  was  not  a 
pleasant  way  of  making  progress,  but  it  was  the 
only  safe  one.  At  length  I  got  into  the  main  pass, 
where  the  snow  lay  at  its  usual  depth,  and  where  it 
was  beaten  down  by  the  passage  of  men,  and  wag- 
gons, and  horses.  This  gave  me  renewed  spirits, 
though,  on  examining  the  traces,  I  discovered  that 
they  were  at  least  a  day  old,  perhaps  older.  My 
chief  immediate  wish  was  to  have  something  to  stop 
the  cravings  of  hunger.  I  felt  in  my  pockets.  I  had 
not  a  particle  of  food  ;  nor  had  I  a  scrap  of  tobacco, 
which  might  have  answered  the  purpose  for  a  short 
time.  I  tried  chewing  a  lump  of  snow  —  that  was 
cold  comfort ;  so  all  I  could  do  was  to  put  my  best 
foot  forward,  and  try  and  overtake  my  friends  as 
•con  as  possible.     I  might  have  walked  on  for  three 


250         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

or  four  hours  engaged  in  the  somewhat  difficult 
endeavor  to  forget  how  liungry  I  was,  and  to  occupy 
my  mind  with  pleasing  fancies  (I  suspect  few  people 
would  have  succeeded  under  the  circumstances  bet- 
ter than  I  did),  when  I  heard  a  loud  growl,  and  on 
looking  round  to  my  right,  I  saw,  sitting  at  the 
mouth  of  a  cavern  formed  in  a  rock  in  a  side  valley 
of  the  main  pass  along  which  I  was  travelling,  a 
huge  grizzly  bear.  There  he  sat,  rubbing  his  nose 
with  his  paws,  putting  me  very  much  in  mind  of 
pictures  I  have  seen  of  hermits  of  old  counting  their 
beads  ;  nor  was  he,  I  suspect,  much  less  profitably 
employed. 

I  stopped  the  moment  I  heard  him  growl,  and 
looked  firmly  at  the  Grizzly.  I  knew  that  it  would 
not  do  to  turn  and  run.  Had  I  done  so,  he  would 
have  been  after  me  in  a  moment,  and  made  mince- 
meat of  my  carcass.  I  do  not  know  what  he  thought 
of  me :  1  do  know  that  I  thought  him  a  very  ugly 
customer.  I  bethought  me  of  my  rifle.  The  last 
shot  I  had  fired  had  been  at  the  Indians  ;  I  had  not 
since  loaded  it.  I  dreaded  lest,  before  I  could  do 
so,  he  might  commence  his  attack,  which  I  guessed 
he  was  meditating.  He  had  probably  only  just 
roused  up  from  his  winter  nap,  and  was  rubbing 
his  eyes  and  snout  as  a  person  does,  on  waking  out 
of  sleep,  to  recover  his  senses,  and  consider  what 
he  should  do.  To  this  circumstance  I  owed,  I  sus- 
pected, my  present  freedom  from  attack.     I,  mean- 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  251 

time,  loaded  my  rifle  as  fast  as  I  could,  and  felt 
much  lighter  of  heart  when  I  once  more  lifted  it 
ready  for  use  to  my  shoulder,  with  a  good  ounce  of 
lead  in  the  barrel.  "  Now,  master  Grizzly,"  said  I 
to  myself,  "  come  on,  I  am  ready  for  you."  Bruin, 
however,  was  either  not  qiiite  awake,  or  wished  to 
consider  the  best  means  of  making  a  prize  of  me. 
The  truth  was  that  both  of  us  were  hungry.  He 
wanted  to  eat  me,  and  I  wanted  to  eat  him  :  that  is 
to  say,  I  determined  to  do  so  if  I  could,  should  he 
attack  me.  If  he  left  me  unmolested,  to  pursue  my 
journey,  —  I  felt  that  discretion  would  be  in  this 
instance  the  best  part  of  valor,  —  that  it  would  be 
wisest  to  leave  him  alone  in  his  glory  ;  for  a  grizzly, 
as  all  hunters  know,  even  with  a  rifle  bullet  in  his 
ribs,  is  a  very  awkward  antagonist.  He  was  so 
long  rubbing  his  nose,  that  I  at  last  lost  patience, 
and  began  to  move  on.  I  had  not  taken  a  dozen 
steps  when  his  warning  growl  again  reached  my 
ears.  I  stopped,  and  he  went  on  rubbing  his  nose  as 
before.  "  This  is  all  nonsense,  old  fellow,"  I  ex- 
claimed. "  Growl  as  much  as  you  like.  I  am  not 
going  to  stop  for  you  any  longer."  So,  putting  my 
best  foot  forward,  as  I  had  need  of  doing,  I  stepped 
quickly  out.  I  very  naturally  could  not  help  turn- 
ing my  head  over  my  shoulder,  to  see  what  Bruiu 
was  about,  and,  as  I  did  so,  a  growl  louder  than  the 
previous  one  reached  my  ear,  and  I  saw  him  mov- 
ing on  at  a  swinging  trot  after  me.     This  I  knew 


252  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

meant  mischief.  Flight  was  totally  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. I  must  fight  the  battle  like  a  man.  It  must 
be  literally  victory  or  death. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  my  heart  felt  more  buoy- 
ant when  I  had  made  up  my  mind  for  the  struggle, 
independent  of  certain  anticipations  of  the  pleasure 
I  should  derive  from  the  bear  steaks  I  had  in  con- 
templation, should  I  be  successful.  I  speak,  per- 
haps, too  lightly  of  the  matter  now,  because  I  do  not 
want  to  make  more  of  my  deeds  than  they  deserve ; 
but  it  was  in  reality  very  serious  work,  and  I  have 
cause  to  be  deeply  thankful  that  I  did  not  become 
the  victim  of  that  savage  beast.  Let  this  be  remem- 
bered, that  I  was  then,  and  I  am  now,  even  more  so, 
most  grateful ;  yet  not  grateful  enough  ;  that  I  also 
feel  for  the  merciful  way  in  which  I  was  brought 
through  all  the  perils  to  which  I  was  exposed.  This 
being  clearly  understood,  I  shall  consider  myself 
exonerated  from  the  frequent  introduction  of  ex- 
pressions to  show  that  I  was  not  a  heartless,  careless 
mortal,  without  a  sense  of  the  superintending  prov- 
idence of  a  most  merciful  Creator.  I  do  feel,  and 
I  have  always  felt,  that  there  is  no  civilized  being  so 
odious  among  all  the  races  of  man  as  a  person  of 
that  description. 

Well,  on  came  the  huge  bear.  I  knelt  down  and 
took  my  pike,  as  a  rest  for  my  rifle.  This  was  a 
great  advantage.  Growling  and  gnashing  his  teeth, 
the  enemy  advanced.    J  prayed  that  my  arm  might 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  253 

be  nerved,  that  my  hand  might  not  tremble,  and 
that  my  rifle  might  not  miss  fire.  Thus  I  wait- 
ed till  the  brute  got  within  six  yards  of  me. 
Had  I  let  him  get  nearer,  even  in  his  death 
struggles,  he  might  have  grappled  me.  I  aimed  at 
his  eye.  I  fired,  and  the  moment  I  had  done  so  I 
sprang  back,  and  did  net  stop  till  I  had  placed 
twenty  paces  between  myself  and  the  bear,  scarcely 
looking  to  see  the  effect  of  my  shot.  When  the 
smoke  cleared  off,  I  saw  the  monster  struggling  on, 
with  the  aim,  it  seemed,  of  catching  me.  I  was 
thankful  that  I  had  been  impelled  to  spring  back  as 
I  had  done,  for  I  certainly  had  not  previously  in- 
tended doing  so.  I  knew  how  hard  the  old  grizzlies 
often  die,  and  so  I  put  some  dozen  or  more  yards  be- 
tween me  and  him.  He  fell,  then  got  up  once,  and 
made  toward  me  again,  and  then  rolled  over,  and  I 
had  great  hope  life  was  extinct.  I  had  meantime 
reloaded  my  rifle,  and  approached  him  with  due 
caution,  for  bears  are,  I  had  heard,  cunning  fellows, 
and  sometimes  sham  death  to  catch  the  unwary 
hunter.  When  I  got  near  enough  I  poked  at  him 
with  my  pike,  and  tickled  him  in  several  places,  and 
as  he  did  not  move,  I  got  round  to  his  head,  and 
gave  him  a  blow  with  my  axe,  which  would  have 
settled  him  had  he  been  shamming  ever  so  cleverly. 
Without  loss  of  time  I  cut  out  his  tongue  and  as 
many  steaks  as  I  could  conveniently  carry,  and 
stringing  them  together  with  a  piece  of  his  hide 


254  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  /Sfctns ; 

threw  them  over  my  back,  and  hurried  on  till  I 
could  find  a  sufficient  collection  of  wood  or  lichens, 
or  other  substance  that  would  burn,  to  make  a  fire 
for  cooking  them.  I  need  not  dwell  on  what  I  did 
do,  but  the  fact  was  I  was  ravenously  hungry  ;  and 
et  any  one,  with  the  gnawings  of  the  stomach  I  was 
enduring,  find  his  nose  within  a  few  inches  of  some 
fresh  wholesome  bear's  meat,  and  he  will  probably 
do  what  I  did  —  eat  a  piece  of  it  raw.  I  was  very 
glad  that  I  did,  for  I  felt  my  strength  much  recruit- 
ed by  my  savage  meal,  especially  as  I  only  ate  a 
small  piece,  very  leisurely  chewing  it  as  I  hurried 
on  my  road. 

It  was  a  satisfaction  to  believe  that  I  was  going 
much  faster  than  the  women  and  vehicles  could 
progress,  and  so  I  hoped  to  overtake  them  in  a  day 
or  two  at  farthest ;  still,  as  long  as  there  was  day- 
light, I  did  not  like  to  stop,  and  so  on  I  tramped, 
till,  just  before  it  grew  dark,  I  reached  a  broader 
part  of  the  pass,  where,  in  a  nook  in  the  mountain 
side,  I  discovered  tlie  remains  of  the  camp  formed 
by  my  friends,  and  left,  I  had  little  doubt,  that  very 
morning.  There  was  wood  enough  about,  with  a 
little  more  which  I  set  to  work  to  collect,  to  keep  a 
fire  burning  all  night.  While  thus-  engaged,  I 
found  in  the  side  of  the  rock  a  cave  of  good  depth. 
I  explored  it  at  once,  while  there  was  light,  to 
ascertain  that  it  was  not  the  abode  of  another 
grizzly.     Having  assured  myself  that  the  lodgings 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  255 

were  unoccupied,  though  no  signboard  announced 
that  they  were  to  be  let,  I  piled  my  wood  up  in 
front,  and  collected  all  the  branches  of  fir-trees 
and  moss  which  I  could  find,  to  form  a  bed  .or 
myself  inside.  These  arrangements  being  made  1 
lighted  my  fire,  and  sat  down  with  considerable 
appetite  to  cook  and  eal-  my  bear  steaks.  My  ad- 
ventures for  the  night  \r  ^re  not  over.* 


256        Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skim : 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

A  night  in  a  cave.  —  /  fortify  myself  and  go  to  deep.  —  Uritoelcinne 
visitors.  —  My  battle  vnlh  the  wolves.  —  I  drive  them  off,  and  again  gi 
to  sleep.  —  Continue  my  journey.  —  Night  again  overtakes  me.  —  / 
build  a  castle  for  my  resting-place.  —  Voices  of  friends  sound  pleas- 
antly. —  Escape  of  my  companions.  —  Fate  of  surly  Magog.  — 
Reach  the  camp.  —  The  summit  of  the  pass.  —  Commence  our 
descent.  —  An  Irishman'' s  notion  of  the  best  way  to  go  down  the  moun- 
tain. 

I  SOON  got  up  a  good  fire,  which  threw  its  ruddj 
glare  on  all  the  rough  poiuts  and  salient  angles  of 
tlie  cavern,  but  cast  the  hollows  and  recesses  into 
the  deepest  shade.  I  glanced  my  eyes  round, 
however,  on  every  side,  and  having  satisfied  myself 
that  it  had  no  previous  occupant  in  the  shape  of  a 
grizzly  and  her  hopeful  family,  I  proceeded  with 
my  culinary  operations.  Having  skewered  a  supply 
of  bits  of  bear's  flesh  sufficient  to  satisfy  my  appe- 
tite, on  as  many  thin  willow  twigs,  I  cut  out  a 
number  of  forked  sticks,  and  stuck  them  round 
the  fire.  On  these,  spit  fashion,  I  placed  my  skew- 
ers, and  turned  them  round  and  round  till  they 
were  roasted  on  every  side.  A  few,  to  satisfy  the 
immediate  cravings  of  my  appetite,  I  placed  very 
close  to  the  fire,  but  they  got  rather  more  burnt 
than  a  French   chef  would  have  admired.     Aftei 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  257 

that,  as  I  had  nothhig  else  to  do,  I  could  afford  to 
take  my  tune,  and  to  cook  them  to  perfection.  I 
should  have  liked  to  have  had  a  little  pepper  and 
salt  to  eat  with  them,  and  something  more  comfort- 
ing than  melted  snow  to  wash  them  down.  I  could 
not  afford  to  expend  my  gunpowder,  otherwise  the 
nitre  in  it  affords  a  certain  amount  of  flavor,  coun- 
terbalanced, to  be  sure,  in  the  opinion  of  some 
people,  by  the  sulphur  and  charcoal.  I  don't  think, 
however,  any  one  need  fear  being  blown  up  by 
partaking  of  such  a  condiment.  After  I  had  fin- 
ished my  supper,  I  sang  a  little  to  amuse  myself, 
and  any  bats  which  might  have  been  hanging  on 
by  their  claws  to  the  roof  of  the  inner  part  of  the 
cave,  and  then,  having  no  book  to  read,  or  any 
thing  else  to  do,  I  prepared  ray  bed,  and  made  up 
my  fire  for  the  night.  In  other  words,  I  collected 
a  bundle  of  sticks,  and  fastened  them  together  to 
form  a  pillow,  and  scraped  into  a  heap  all  the  dry 
earth  I  could  find  to  make  myself  a  mattress. 
This  a  backwoodsman  would  have  considered  great 
effeminacy ;  and  though  I  always  adopted  tlieir 
ways  when  with  them,  I  must  own  tliat,  when  left 
to  myself,  I  could  not  help  indulging  in  some  such 
approximation,  as  I  have  described,  to  the  luxurious 
habits  of  my  college  life.  It  was  pleasant  to  recall 
my  arm-chair  and  slippers,  ray  cheery  coal  fire,  my 
table  covered  with  books,  and  a  cup  of  coffee,  or 
perhaps  a  bottle  of  port  and  a  plate  of  biscuits,  to 
^    22* 


258         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

apply  to  in  case,  after  my  mental  exertions,  my 
physical  being  should  require  some  slight  renova- 
tion. Some  lazy  fellows  might  rather  think  that  I 
had  not  changed  for  the  better.  I  was  on  the  point 
of  stretching  myself  on  the  aforesaid  luxurious 
couch,  when  I  bethought  me  that  it  would  be  more 
prudent  to  erect  a  barrier  of  some  sort  between  my 
dormitory  and  the  entrance  of  the  cavern,  that, 
should  any  uninvited  visitors  intrude,  I  might  have 
time  for  taking  measures  to  protect  myself.  It  by 
the  way  also  occurred  to  me  that  a  wall  might 
guard  me  from  the  cold  wind,  which  blew  in  at  the 
mouth  of  the  cavern.  I,  therefore,  shaking  off  my 
drowsiness  by  an  impulse  I  can  scarcely  now  ac- 
count for,  built  a  wall  of  all  the  stones  and  earth 
and  bits  of  wood  I  could  heap  together,  nearly 
two  feet  high,  reaching  from  the  fire  to  one  side  of 
the  cavern.  I  then  carefully  examined  my  rifle, 
and  placing  it  by  my  side,  lay  down  alongside  my 
wall  with  my  feet  toward  the  fire.  Why  I  did  this, 
I  repeat,  I  cannot  say.  The  idea  that  such  a  pre- 
caution might  be  necessary,  had  not  till  that  very 
moment  crossed  my  mind.  The  additional  exertion 
somewhat  wearied  me,  and  not  a  minute  after  1 
placed  my  head  on  the  pillow,  and  like  a  hen  had 
worked  myself  a  hole  to  fit  my  body  in  the  sand, 
I  was  fast  asleep.  I  don't  know  what  occurred 
after  that,  till  I  awoke  by  finding  my  feet  very  cold, 
which  was  no  wonder,  for  the  fire  had  almost  gone 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West,  259 

out,  and  the  thermometer  was  down  to  zero,  i 
lifted  myself  up  on  my  elbow  while  I  was  recover- 
ing my  senses  after  my  sleep,  when,  not  five  paces 
on  the  other  side  of  the  wall,  I  saw  what  looked 
like  at  least  a  dozen  sparks  of  light  in  a  row, 
reaching  across  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  while  further 
off  appeared  several  other  small  fiery  orbs.  I  looked 
and  looked  again. 

"  Fireflies,"  said  I  to  myself,  half  dreaming. 
"  Bosh !  fireflies  in  mid-minter  on  the  top  of  a 
mountain  !  "  I  rubbed  my  eyes.  "  Sparks  from 
ray  fire  ?  "  Several  peculiar  low  snarling  growls 
made  me  start  up,  wide  awake  with  a  vengeance. 
"  Wolves  !  "  I  said  to  myself;  "  there  is  no  doubt 
about  it."  The  brutes  had  smelt  me  out,  and  with 
their  usual  caution,  they  were  making  this  advance 
to  commence  an  attack. 

How  many  there  were  I  could  not  tell,  but  there 
must  have  been  a  flock  of  them  —  parents  and  chil- 
dren, the  biggest  and  fiercest,  as  usual,  in  the  van. 
I  concluded  that  they  had  yet  seen  me  in  the  dark, 
but  I  knew  that  they  would  find  me  out  as  soon  as 
I  moved.  I  felt  quietly  for  my  rifle,  and  got  that 
ready  to  fire  when  it  was  required.  Then  I  lay 
watching  the  brutes  as  slowly  they  crept  on,  one 
foot  before  the  other,  just  as  a  pointer  advances 
toward  where  the  covey  lies  hid.  In  another  instant 
they  might  spring  upon  me.  It  struck  me  that  they 
probably  did  not  like  the  embers  of  the  fire,  so  I 


260  Dick  Onsloic  and  the  Red  Skins : 

took  my  long  pole  and  beat  or  stirred  up  the  ashes 
with  it,  making  them  send  forth  showers  of  sparks. 
I  fancied  that  the  wolves  were  retreating,  so  I 
jumped  up,  and  threw  the  bundle  of  sticks  which 
had  served  me  for  a  pillow,  as  well  as  all  others  on 
which  I  could  lay  hands,  upon  the  ashes.  This  act 
exposed  me  to  the  view  of  the  hungry  brutes,  who 
instantly,  with  loud  growls,  rushed  back  toward  me. 
Just  then  the  dry  sticks,  aided  by  a  puff  of  wind, 
ignited,  and  blazing  up  exhibited  the  whole  savage 
troop  to  me.  It  was  a  highly  picturesque  scene  I 
doubt  not,  the  fire  blazing  up,  and  the  dark  rugged 
walls  of  the  cavern,  and  my  figure  brought  into 
strong  light,  with  my  gleaming  brand  pointed 
toward  my  savage  assailants  ;  but  I  don't  mean  to 
say  I  thought  about  that  just  then.  All  I  saw  were 
the  fierce  glaring  eyes,  the  shaggy  coats,  and  the 
hungry-looking  fangs  of  the  brutes,  as  they  licked 
their  jaws  in  anticipation  of  the  feast  they  hoped  to 
enjoy  off  me:  I  did  not,  however,  like  to  throw 
away  a  shot  among  them,  which  could  only  have 
killed  one,  so  I  waited  to  see  what  they  would  do. 
Tn  my  late  combat  with  the  bear,  I  had  the  anticipa- 
tion of  a  meal  off  my  foe,  should  I  prove  the  victor, 
but  on  this  occasion  I  had  not  that  incitement  to 
exertion,  for  a  man  must  be  very  hard  up  for  food 
who  could  complacently  dine  off  the  flesh  of  a  gaunt 
wolf  at  the  end  of  winter ;  and  even  the  cubs, 
though  probably  not  quite  such   tough  morsels  as 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  2"^1 

their  parents,  had. already  far  too  much  muscular 
development  to  afford  satisfactory  employment  to 
the  jaws.  Though,  however,  I  did  not  want  to  cat 
the  wolves,  they  wanted  to  eat  me,  which  was  quite 
sufficient  reason  to  make  me  excessively  anxious  to 
gain  the  victory. 

After  baying  at  me  for  some  time,  the  brutes  in  tho 
front  line  once  more  stealthily  advanced,  followed 
by  those  in  the  rear,  whose  forms  appeared  less 
and  less  distinct,  till  all  I  could  make  out  of  them 
were  their  fierce  eyes,  glaring  like  hot  coals  through 
the  darkness.  By  this  time  a  good  portion  of  tno 
sticks  had  caught  fire.  As  the  wolves  got  neai-or, 
the  scent  of  the  remainder  of  the  bears'  steaks, 
which  I  had  put  aside  for  my  breakfast,  filled  their 
nostrils  ;  their  eagerness  increased,  and,  with  a  loud 
howl,  they  in  a  body  sprang  toward  me.  I  must 
conquer  gloriously,  or  die  and  be  eaten  ignomin- 
iously  ;  so,  seizing  a  bundle  of  the  burning  sticks, 
I  threw  them  in  among  the  advancing  ranks,  and 
then,  with  loud  shouts,  grasjjing  my  pole,  sprang 
out  toward  my  foes,  and  belabored  them  with  might 
and  main  about  their  heads.  They  snarled  and  bit 
fiercely  at  the  pole,  but  did  not  advance.  Still 
they  would  not  take  to  flight,  and  as  it  was  very 
evident  I  should  have  a  disturbed  night's  rest  if  they 
remained  in  the  neighborhood,  I  was  very  anxious 
to  make  them  decamp.  I  got  together,  therefore, 
an  additional  supply  of  burning  sticks.     These  I  put 


262  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

ill  readiness  for  use.  Then  I  levelled  my  rifle  at  one 
of  the  foremost  and  biggest  wolves,  and  knocking 
liim  over,  brandished  my  pole  in  one  hand,  and  hurl- 
ing the  burning  sticks  among  them  with  the  other, 
1  made  a  second  furious  onslaught  on  the  wolves. 
With  unearthly  howls  and  cries  away  they  fled,  leap- 
ing and  scrambling  over  each  other  like  an  aff'righted 
flock  of  sheep,  and  in  complacent  triumph  I  returned 
to  my  sandy  couch,  expecting  to  enjoy  a  quiet  and 
comfortable  night's  rest.  A  heap  of  stones  served 
me  now  for  a  pillow.  Some  of  my  readers  may  say, 
if  you  had  had  a  downy  couch  or  a  feather-stuffed 
]>illow,  in  a  nice  room  with  curtains,  and  a  good  fire, 
you  might  have  had  some  reason  for  your  hopes ; 
but  let  me  assure  them  that  our  ideas  of  comfort 
arise  from  comparison.  The  first  night  I  slept  in  a 
feather-bed  after  my  camp  life  I  caught  the  worst 
cold  I  ever  had.  Well,  leaving  the  dead  body  of 
the  wolf  where  he  had  fallen,  I  took  the  precaution 
to  make  up  the  fire  with  the  remaining  sticks  I  had 
collected,  and  lay  down  once  more  to  enjoy  the 
sweets  of  repose.  Can  it  be  believed  ?  I  had  not 
been  ten  minutes  wrapped  in  the  arms  of  Morpheus, 
when  I  was  again  roused  out  of  them  by  a  terrific 
snarling  and  barking  and  growling.  I  looked  up. 
There,  as  I  expected,  were  the  wolves,  tmnatural 
brutes,  tearing  away  at  the  carcass  of  their  ancient 
kinsman,  and  quarreling  over  his  limbs.  "  If  that 
is  what  you  are  about,  my  boys,  you  are  welcome  to 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  263 

your  sport,  only  let  me  alone,"  said  I  to  myself; 
and  leaning  back  I  was  immediately  fast  asleep 
again.  The  truth  is,  not  having  had  a  comfortable 
night's  rest  for  some  time  I  was  very  sleepy,  which 
will  account  for  my  apparent  indifference  to  the  near 
neighborhood  of  such  unsatisfactory  gentry. 

In  spite  of  snarling,  and  barking,  and  howling, 
and  growling,  and  every  other  variety  of  noise 
which  the  genus  canis^  whether  in  a  tame  or  wild 
state,  is  capable  of  making,  I  slept  on.  To  be  sure 
I  could  not  help  dreaming  about  them  ;  sometimes 
that  they  were  running  off  with  my  ten  toes,  then 
with  my  fingers  ;  then  that  a  big  fellow  had  got 
an  awkward  gripe  at  my  nose.  The  last  dream, 
which  was  so  particularly  unpleasant,  made  me  lift 
up  my  hand  to  ascertain  whether  that  ornament  of 
the  human  visage  was  in  its  proper  place,  when  I 
felt  several  hot  puffs  of  air  blow  on  my  cheek,  and 
opening  ray  eyes  I  beheld  the  glaring  orbs  of  half 
a  dozen  wolves  gazing  down  upon  me  over  my  bar 
ricade.  Had  not  my  dream  given  me  warning,  in 
another  instant  they  would  have  been  upon  me. 
As  it  was,  they  seemed  inclined  to  make  a  spring 
and  to  finish  the  drama  by  eating  me  up,  which  I 
calculated  they  would  have  done  in  ten  minutes, 
when,  seizing  my  spear,  I  swept  it  round,  and  as  I 
knocked  one  off  after  the  other  the  loud  yelling 
they  made  showed  the  force  of  the  blows  I  had,  in 
my  desperation,  dealt  on  them.     I  then  got  up, 


264         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

and  scraping  a  portion  of  the  fire  within  reach  of 
my  Imnds,  I  kept  the  ends  of  a  number  of  sticks 
burning  in  it,  and  as  soon  as  the  wolves  came  back, 
which  they  did  not  fail  to  do,  I  hove  one  at  their 
noses.  Tins  made  them  wary.  They  must  have 
taken  me  for  a  Salamander  or  some  fire-spitting 
monster ;  at  all  events,  although  some  of  the  bolder 
ones  every  now  and  then  came  and  had  a  look  at 
me,  licking  their  jaws  and  wishing  they  could  eat 
me  up,  the  singeing  I  gave  their  whiskers  quickly 
drove  them  away,  while  the  greater  number  kept 
at  a  respectful  distance.  At  last  when  morning 
light  returned,  I  started  up,  and  uttering  shouts 
and  shrieks  with  the  most  hearty  good-will,  fired 
again  at  the  foremost,  and,  as  before,  laying  about 
me  with  my  pole,  put  the  remainder  to  an  igno- 
minious flight.  I  had  not  enjoyed  a  quiet  night 
certainly,  but  I  was  much  warmer  than  I  should 
have  been  had  my  fire  gone  out.  "  It's  an  ill  wind 
that  blows  no  one  good."  "  Good  may  be  got  out 
of  every  thing,"  I  say.  So  the  wolves  said,  when 
they  supped  off  their  old  grandsire  instead  of  me. 
Having  also  enjoyed  a  warm  breakfast,  I  shouldered 
my  rifle  and  pushed  on  as  fast  as  my  legs  could 
carry  me  to  overtake  my  friends.  I  was  extreme 
ly  anxious  to  get  up  with  them  before  they  de- 
scended into  the  plains  ;  for  as  I  supposed  that  the 
snow  would  be  melting  there,  I  knew  that  I  might 
have  great  difficulty  in  following  their  traces.     I 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  265 

pushed  on  till  noon,  and  then  stopped  but  ten  min- 
utes to  dine,  or  rather  to  rest  and  chew  a  bit  of 
bear's  flesh.  That  done,  on  again  I  went  as  fast  as 
before.  I  did  not  at  all  like  the  notion  of  having 
to  camp  out  by  myself,  for  I  was  so  sleepy  that  I 
fancied  I  might  be  torn  limb  from  limb  by  wolves 
or  a  bear  without  awaking ;  and  certainly  I  might 
have  been  frozen  to  death.  The  evening  came,  the 
sun  set,  and  though  I  was  on  the  track  of  my 
friends,  I  could  see  nothing  of  them.  Still  I 
pushed  on,  because  I  might  overtake  them  before 
dark  ;  but  at  length  the  shades  of  night  crept  up 
the  mountain's  sides,  and  for  what  I  could  tell  I 
still  might  be  many  hours  distant  from  them.  I 
could  see  very  little  way  ahead  ;  but  I  had  arrived 
at  a  part  of  the  mountain  range  where  there  were 
some  very  ugly-looking  precipices  on  either  side  of 
the  pass,  and  I  thought  it  more  than  likely,  should 
I  push  on,  that  I  might  slip  down  one  of  them, 
when  very  probably  I  should  not  be  brought  up  till 
I  had  had  a  jump  of  a  couple  of  thousand  feet  or 
so.  I  could  find  no  dry  wood  for  a  fire ;  but  there 
were  plenty  of  stones,  and  a  superabundance  of 
snow,  and  a  big  overhanging  rock  near  at  hand.  I, 
therefore,  built  myself  a  hut  witli  the  stones  and 
snow,  the  big  rock  forming  the  back.  There  was 
no  door  nor  window,  seeing  that  such  would  have 
been  more  useful  to  an  enemy  than  to  myself;  but 
as  there  was  no  roof,  the  space  where  it  should  have 

23 


266  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

been  enabled  me  to  get  into  my  abode,  and  allowed 
air  and  such  light  as  the  stars  afforded  to  enter 
also.  Some  men  would  not  have  taken  so  much 
trouble  for  a  single  night,  but  as  I  tliought  that  I 
very  probably  should  be  eaten  if  I  did  not,  I  did 
not  think  the  trouble  thrown  away. 

My  castle  being  complete,  I  climbed  over  the 
wall,  and  sat  down  on  a  stone,  which  I  intended  as 
my  pillow,  to  munch  a  piece  of  bear's  flesh.  I  felt 
much  better  after  it,  and  before  going  to  sleep  I  be- 
thought me  that  I  would  exercise  my  voice  a  little, 
and  fire  off  my  rifle  to  frighten  away  any  prowling 
bear,  who  might  otherwise  take  a  fancy  to  inspect 
my  fortress  while  I  might  be  asleep.  My  voice  rang 
loudly  amidst  the  solemn  silence  of  that  mountain 
region,  and  the  crack  of  my  rifle  echoed  from  rock 
to  rock,  but  I  heard  no  sound  in  return,  and  hav- 
ing reloaded  my  rifle,  and  sung  a  few  songs  and  a 
hymn,  I  knelt  down,  said  my  prayers,  and  placing 
my  head  on  my  rough  pillow,  went  to  sleep.  I 
had  slept  some  time  when  I  was  awoke  by  hearing 
a  noise  as  if  some  one  was  climbing  over  the  walls 
of  my  tower.  Grasping  my  rifle,  which  I  had 
placed  leaning  against  the  wall  nearest  me,  ready 
for  instant  service,  I  looked  up  and  there  I  saw  the 
head  of  a  bear  looking  down  upon  me.  I  was  on 
the  point  of  firing,  as  was  natuial,  when  I  heard  a 
voice  say, — 

"  Hollo,  stranger,  you  snore  loudly."  T  sprang 
to  my  feet. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  267 

«  Why,  Obed  and  Elihu,  old  boys!  is  it  you  ?" 
I  exclaimed.     "  And  my  young  friend  Gog !" 

"  I  might  well  say,  is  it  you,  Dick  ?  "  cried  Obed 
and  his  brother,  almost  wringing  off  my  hand. 
"  We  thought  you  were  some  hundred  feet  under 
the  snow,  with  all  the  Redskins,  the  White  Dogs, 
and  Flintheads,  and  none  of  us  ever  expected  to 
see  you  again,  that  we  did  not,  let  me  tell  you  ;  but 
it  won't  make  us  less  glad  to  find  you  come  to  life 
again.  How  is  it  you  are  here?  Tell  us."  In 
reply,  I  gave  them  a  rapid  sketch  of  my  escape  and 
adventures,  and  inquired  anxiously  after  my  friends. 
He  told  me  that  only  two  white  men  of  our  party 
had  lost  their  lives,  though  several  had  been  dug 
out  of  the  snow,  whereas,  of  the  Indians,  only  old 
White  Dog  himself  had  escaped. 

"  And  Magog  ? "  I  asked,  "  my  otlier  young 
bear." 

"  Oh,  we  ate  him,"  answered  Obed ;  "  he  was  an 
ill-natured  brute,  and  as  he  bit  one  of  the  children, 
and  we  wanted  some  fresh  meat,  father  ordered  him 
to  be  knocked  on  the  head.  I  guessed  it  would 
come  to  that.  Now,  the  moment  we  heard  your 
shots  and  shouts,  Gog  was  full  of  fidgets,  till  he  saw 
us  starting  off  to  see  what  it  was  about,  and  then 
up  he  got  and  followed  us  like  a  dog.  He's  a  sen- 
sible little  brute,  that  he  is." 

This  conversation  took  place  while  I,  like  a  Jack 
in  a  box,  stood  inside  my  castle,  and  my  friends 


268  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

outside.  At  last  I  bethought  me  that  I  should  like 
to  be  on  the  move,  if  it  was  only  the  sooner  to  enjoy 
a  cup  of  hot  coffee  and  a  pipe,  luxuries  I  had  had 
all  day  an  especial  longing  for.  They  had  been  so 
eager  to  learn  what  had  occurred  to  me,  that  it  did 
not  occur  to  them  that  the  sooner  we  could  get 
back  to  camp  the  better  for  me.  It  was  pitched,  1 
found,  in  a  sheltered  nook,  in-  a  valley  some  way 
down  the  mountain,  and  thus  their  fires  had  been 
liidden  from  me,  as  well  as  the  sound  of  their 
voices.  Off  we  set,  therefore,  little  Gog  jumping 
and  frisking  before  me  as  playful  as  a  young  puppy. 
It  was  a  wonder  he  did  not  tumble  over  tlie  preci- 
pices in  the  dark.  I  received  a  warm  welcome  and 
got  a  warm  supper,  and  when  I  did  once  go  to 
sleep,  I  believe  that  it  would  have  taken  a  pretty 
lieavy  piece  of  ordnance  fired  over  my  head  to 
awaken  me. 

We  had  now  reached  the  extreme  western  edge 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  our  course  was  hence- 
forth to  be  all  down-hill.  We  had  expected  to  have 
had  easy  work  of  it,  but  when  we  stood  on  the  edge 
of  tlie  cliffs  and  looked  down  the  terrific  precipices, 
the  bottom  of  wliich  we  had  by  some  means  or  other 
to  reach,  we  very  soon  changed  our  minds.  First, 
we  had  to  search  for  the  side  of  the  mountain  with 
the  least  slope ;  that  is  to  say,  forming  the  great(!i?t 
angle  with  the  base.  When  found,  we  saw  that  no 
oxen   or   horses   could,  l)y  themselves,  prevent  a 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  2G9 

loaded  waggon  rushing  down  and  being  dashed  to 
pieces.  We  therefore  held  a  council  to  consider 
the  best  means  to  be  adopted.  Two  plans  were 
agreed  on,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  ground. 
Where  the  descent  was  short  and  steep  we  unhar- 
nessed the  cattle,  and  making  one  end  of  a  rope 
fast  to  a  rock  or  tree,  we  passed  it  through  a  block 
in  the  hinder  part  of  the  waggon,  and  thus  lowered 
the  vehicle  down  gradually  to  the  next  platform. 
The  ropes  were  then  unrove  and  secured  to  another 
rock  or  tree.  It  was  a  very  slow  operation,  but  it 
was  the  only  safe  one.  Indeed,  in  some  places  the 
descent  was  so  precipitous  that  we  had  to  unload 
the  waggons  altogether,  and  carry  each  article  down 
separately.  Two  days  were  thus  occupied ;  but 
when  we  looked  up  and  saw  the  heights  from  which 
we  had  descended,  and  the  steepness  of  the  preci- 
pices above  us,  we  had  reason,  I  thought,  to  be 
thankful.  We  now  came  to  a  series  of  sheer  de- 
scents, long,  excessively  steep  slopes  of  half  a  mile 
or  more  each.  They  were  of  a  more  treacherous 
character,  and  required  as  much  caution.  We  first 
cut  down  as  many  trees,  with  their  branches  on 
them,  as  we  had  waggons,  and  secured  the  butt-ends 
to  the  axle-trees,  while  the  thick  branchy  tops 
trailed  behind  digging  into  the  ground.  We  were 
too  wise,  however,  to  risk  the  whole  at  once.  First, 
we  got  one  of  the  lighter  waggons  with  a  steady  pair 
of  horses  ahead.     Then  we  locked  all  the  wheels, 

23* 


270  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  ; 

aiid  besides  that  made  fast  some  stout  ropes  to  either 
side.  We  remembered  that  "  The  greater  haste 
the  worst  speed."  "  Gently,  so  ho,"  was  the  word. 
On  moved  the  waggon.  Obed  aiid  I  went  to  the 
horses'  heads.  It  was  ticklish  work,  with  all  our 
care.  Downward  we  slid.  Often  we  could  scarcely 
keep  our  own  footing.  I  was  very  glad,  I  know, 
when  we  reached  the  bottom  of  the  first  descent. 
We  had  several  more,  however,  to  accomplish. 
Others,  seeing  our  success,  came  following  with  the 
same  caution,  and  succeeded  as  well.  All  but  one 
party,  a  family  of  Irish  emigrants,  agreed  that  our 
plan  was  the  only  safe  one.  Pat  Leary,  however, 
and  his  sons,  and  sons-in-law,  and  wife,  and  daugh- 
ters, and  daughters-in-law,  for  though  the  eldest 
was  not  twenty,  they  were  all  married,  cried  out 
lustily  against  our  proceedings. 

"  Arrah,  now,  why  are  ye  afther  bothering  so  long 
on  the  side  of  the  mountain  ? "  exclaimed  Leary 
-the  elder.  "  Jist  let  the  waggons  now  take  an  aisy 
slide  down  by  themselves,  they'll  raich  the  bottom 
safe  enough.  Don't  ye  see  no  harm  has  come  to 
any  one  of  them  yet,  at  all,  at  all  ?  " 

"  For  the  very  reason,  friend  Leary,  because  we 
have  taken  proper  precautions  to  prevent  an  acci- 
dent," observed  Mr.  Ragget,  who  had  adcpted  a 
peculiarly  sententious  tone  in  speaking  to  Pat,  a 
great  contrast  to  the  other's  rapid  style  of  utter- 
ance. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  271 

Pat  was  not  to  be  convinced.  One  of  the  longest 
and  steepest  of  the  descents  lay  before  us.  On  ono 
side  was  a  precipice  of  some  six  or  seven  hundred 
feet  in  depth.  Pat  insisted  on  leading  the  way. 
lie  and  his  boys  were  certain  that  they  could  trot 
their  horses  down  it.  "  It  was  all  so  straight  and 
aisy." 

We  entreated  them  to  let  the  women  and  children 
remain  behind.  With  a  bad  grace  they  consented, 
charging  us  to  bring  them  on  to  Californy  after 
tliem.  On  they  went.  The  descent  was  tolerably 
gentle  for  some  way.  They  looked  round  laughing 
at  us,  cracking  their  whips.  However,  steeper  and 
steeper  it  grew,  and  faster  and  faster  they  went,  till, 
dashing  on  at  a  terrific  speed,  they  were  hidden  from 
our  sif^ht. 


•272         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

Bad /ate  of  the  poor  Learys. —  Gi-ief  of  the  mother  and  tUters.--  We 
go  in  search  of  tiie  missing  ones  —  Find  them  at  the  bottom  of  the 
ravine.  —  The  burial.  —  Wild  scene.  —  Return  to  camp.  —  Go  on  a 
sporting  expedition.  —  My  battle  with  the  hawks.  —  Very  nearly 
beaten.  —  Short  comes  to  the  rescue.  —  Consequences  of  indulging  in 
a  ft  of  romance  on  a  journey.  —  Go  to  sleep,  and  fnd  that  my  only 
coti^anion  is  a  huge  rattlesnake. 

I  WAS  describing  our  passage  down  the  western 
slopes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  our  worthy  com- 
panion Pat  Leary  having  taken  it  into  his  head  that 
he  had  discovered  a  much  more  rapid  way  of 
reaching  the  bottom,  than  the  slow  one  which  the 
rest  of  our  party  thought  it  prudent  to  pursue. 
As  we  stood  on  the  platform  immediately  above  the 
slope  he  had  taken,  we  saw  him  dashing  on  at  a 
furious  speed,  not  at  all  conscious  of  the  danger 
he  was  running.  As  his  wife  and  daughters,  how- 
ever, saw  his  rapid  descent,  they  became  so,  and 
screamed  out  for  him  to  stop.  He  was  a  great 
favorite  with  us  all,  in  spite  of  a  few  eccentricities, 
for  lie  was  a  capital  fellow  in  the  main  ;  and  had 
he  not  been  so,  the  cries  of  the  women  would  have 
made  us  anxious  for  his  safety.  Obed  and  I,  who 
were  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  the  party,  could  not 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  273 

resist  the  temptation  of  setting  off  to  see  what  had 
become  of  him,  and  to  render  him  any  assistance 
in  our  power.  Leaving  our  waggon,  therefore,  in 
charge  of  two  lads,  we  ran  down  the  slope  of  the 
mountain  as  fast  as  our  legs  would  carry  us.  On 
we  went  till  we  were  almost  done  up,  but  the  only 
sign  of  the  Learys  were  the  ruts  which  their  waggon 
wheels  had  made  in  the  softer  spots  on  the  moun- 
tain side ;  often  they  approached  fearfully  near  the 
edge  of  the  precipice  on  the  left,  and  then  appa- 
rently the  animals,  seeing  the  danger,  had  inclined 
again  to  the  right.  We  were  already  carried  much 
further  down  the  mountain  than  we  intended,  and 
began  to  repent  having  come,  and  to  think  of  our 
long  climb  up  again,  when  we  saw,  a  considerable 
way  below  us,  close  to  the  precipice,  some  objects 
moving,  which,  on  descending  further,  we  discov- 
ered to  be  human  beings.  They  were  lying  on  the 
ground  and  waving  their  hands.  As  we  proceeded, 
we  found  that  the  nearest  was  our  poor  friend 
Leary.  "  Oh,  help  tliem  !  —  save  them !  murther, 
murther!  or  they'll  all  be  dashed  to  pieces,"  he 
shouted  out,  pointing  down  to  the  deep  glen  or 
gorge  below  us,  through  which  rushed  a  rapid, 
roaring,  foaming  stream.  Two  of  his  sons  lay 
close  to  him  almost  stunned.  Four  had  started  in 
the  waggon.  Where  were  the  other  two  ?  Where 
was  the  waggon  ?  The  marks  of  the  cart  wheels 
verging  to  the  left,  and  the  broken  ground  at  the 


274  Dick  Onsloir  and  the  Red  Skins: 

edge  of  the  precipice,  told  us  too  plainly  what  had 
occurred.  We  looked  down  the  fearful  ravine.  No 
attempt  we  could  make  to  aid  the  two  unfortunate 
young  men  would  avail.  Far,  far  down  amid  masses 
of  rocks  at  the  edge  of  the  torrent  lay  a  confused 
mass,  amid  which  we  could  distinguisli  the  wheel 
of  a  waggon,  and  the  head  of  one  of  the  animals 
which  had  drawn  it,  but  nothing  moved,  no  sound 
was  heard.  It  was  our  conviction  that  both  men 
and  beasts  had  been,  long  ere  they  reached  the 
bottom,  deprived  of  life.  We  did  not  describe  to 
the  poor  father  what  we  had  seen.  He  was  hoping 
against  hope  that  his  sons  had  escaped.  We  needed 
no  one  to  describe  to  us  how  the  accident  had 
occurred.  The  road  sloped  away  to  the  left,  and 
the  animals,  losing  their  footing,  had  been  forced 
by  the  impetus  of  the  waggon  over  the  precipice, 
while  he  and  his  other  two  lads  had  mechanically 
leaped  out  at  the  moment  it  was  about  to  make 
the  fatal  plunge.  The  two  lads  were  stunned  and 
so  much  bruised,  that  when  they  came  to  them- 
selves they  could  not  walk,  while  Leary,  though 
less  hurt,  what  with  grief  and  regret  at  his  folly 
and  alarm,  had  his  nerves  so  completely  unstrung, 
that  he  lost  all  command  over  himself.  To  leave 
them  in  this  condition  was  impossible,  so  I  volun- 
teei  ed  to  climb  up  the  mountain  to  hurry  on  some 
of  the  party,  with  assistance ;  but  Obed  would  not 
hear  of  it,  and  insisted  on  my  remaining  while  he 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  2Y5 

returned.  I  consented  to  his  proposal,  and  having 
assisted  me  in  dragging  the  three  men  to  a  dis- 
tance from  the  precipice,  off  he  started.  My  watch 
was  a  very  painfnl  one.  Poor  Leary  was  constantly 
raving,  asking  why  i»is  boys  did  not  come  up  from 
below  there,  and  crying  out  that  he  would  go  and 
look  for  them.  I  often  had  great  difficulty  in 
restraining  him.  One  of  his  sons,  too,  was  so 
severely  hurt,  that  I  feared  he  would  sink  before 
assistance  could  come.  The  other,  who  was  the 
eldest,  was  fully  conscious  of  what  had  occurred, 
and  groaned  and  cried  bitterly,  blaming  himself 
and  his  father  as  being  the  cause  of  the  death  of 
his  younger  brothers,  which  was  indeed  too  true. 
Many  an  anxious  look  did  I  cast  up  the  mountain 
in  the  hope  of  seeing  my  companions  on  their 
descent.  I  expected  them  long  before  they  could 
possibly  arrive,  for  I  had  not  calculated  how  much 
time  it  would  occupy  Obed  in  ascending,  and  the 
waggons,  with  their  wheels  locked  and  the  trees 
astern,  in  descending  the  mountain. 

The  state  of  my  poor  friends  almost  unnerved  me, 
and  I  began  to  think  of  grizzly  bears  and  wolves, 
and  all  sorts  of  monsters  which  might  scent  us  out. 
Though  I  had  my  rifle  at  my  back  I  could  scarcely 
hope  to  defend  myself  and  my  companions.  Still  I, 
of  course,  determined  to  do  my  best.  As  I  looked 
toward  the  glen  into  which  the  waggon  had  shot 
over,  I  saw  high  in  air  several  huge  birds  rapidly 


276         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

Minging  their  flight  from  various  directions,  and 
hovering  over  the  spot  ere  they  made  a  pounce  down 
on  it.  I  knew  too  well  what  they  were — vultures 
drawn  by  their  keen  scent  from  afar  to  their  dread- 
ful banquet.  They  knew,  whatever  we  might  have 
hoped,  that  death  was  there.  At  last  the  waggons 
appeared,  and  the  sound  of  female  voices  shrieking 
and  wailing  gave  me  notice  that  Obed  had  told  the 
poor  wives  and  sisters  of  the  sufferers  what  had  oc- 
curred. It  was  a  most  piteous  scene.  As  soon  as 
the  waggons  could  be  safely  brought  to  a  stop,  some 
of  the  women  threw  themselves  by  the  side  of  the 
sufferers,  and  hung  over  them,  and  kissed  them, 
and  embraced  them  convulsively,  wliile  the  bereaved 
widows  cried  out  for  their  husbands,  and  asked 
what  had  become  of  them.  This  state  of  things 
might  have  continued  all  day  had  not  Mr.  Ragget 
arrived  and  somewhat  restored  order.  He  first  ju- 
diciously applied  such  remedies  as  were  at  hand  to 
the  sufferers,  and  then  had  them  all  lifted  into  a 
waggon,  and  on  we  proceeded  to  tlie  bottom  of  the 
mountain.  Soon  after  this  we  reached  a  spot 
whence  what  appeared  a  vast  plain  was  seen  stretch- 
ing out  before  us,  and  became  aware  that  we  were 
near  the  termination  of  the  mountain  portion  of  our 
journey.  Here  and  there  we  observed  slight  eleva- 
tions, while  several  silvery  lines  meandering  amid 
groves  marked  the  course  of  what  seemed  small 
rivulets  flowing  toward  the  Pacific.     We  afterwards 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  277 

found  that  the  slight  elevations  turned  into  consid- 
erable hills,  the  groves  into  vast  forests,  and  the 
small  rivulets  into  rapid  rivers,  which  cost  us  much 
toil  and  danger  to  pass.  We  had  still  some  way  to 
descend  before  we  reached  a  level  spot,  when,  near 
the  edge  of  the  stream  which  rushed  out  of  the 
gorge  I  have  mentioned,  we  halted  to  encamp. 
Leaving  the  rest  to  make  the  usual  arrange- 
ments, without  stopping  to  take  food,  I  and  three 
of  the  Raggets,  with  Learj's  sons-in-law,  and  one 
or  two  others,  set  off  up  the  gorge  to  try  and  find 
the  spot  where  the  waggon  and  the  bodies  of  our 
late  companions  lay.  I  should  say  that  as  we 
descended  the  mountain  we  had  looked  out  for  any 
practicable  place  by  which  we  might  reach  the  bot- 
tom of  the  gorge,  but  none  could  we  discover.  We 
had,  of  course,  our  rifles  at  our  backs  and  our  axes 
in  our  belts,  and  either  crowbars  or  poles  in  our 
hands.  The  ground  was  rugged  in  the  extreme. 
Sometimes  we  had  to  climb  the  sides  of  the  preci- 
pices, now  to  wade  along  the  edge  of  the  stream, 
running  a  great  risk  of  being  carried  off  by  the  cur- 
rent. Sometimes  we  came  to  marshy  spots,  into 
which  we  sunk  nearly  up  to  our  middle  ;  then  we 
worked  our  way  onward  under  trees,  swinging  our- 
selves from  bough  to  bough,  but  the  greater  part  of 
the  way  we  had  to  climb  over  huge  boulders  with 
crevices  between  them,  into  which  it  would  have 
been  destruction  to  slip.     We  had  all  climbed  to 

24 


278  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

the  top  of  one  huge  rock,  expecthig  that  we  should 
soe  I'rom  it  the  spot  at  which  we  were  aiming,  when, 
on  looking  down  the  opposite  side,  we  found  that 
there  was  at  the  bottom  a  water-course  with  a  fall 
of  nearly  twenty  feet  into  it,  while  nothijig  could 
we  see  of  the  broken  waggon.  We  had,  therefore, 
to  slip  down  the  way  we  had  come  up,  and  to  pro- 
gress as  before.  It  was  weary,  fatiguing  work. 
Still  we  persevered  ;  for  there  was,  of  course,  a  pos- 
sibility that  the  poor  young  Learys  might  be  alive, 
though  of  this  we  had  very  little  hope. 

We  had  been  deceived  as  to  the  distance,  and  we 
judged  that  we  must  already  have  travelled  a  league, 
or  three  miles.  Obed  suggested  that  we  might  have 
passed  the  spot,  but  this  I  did  not  think  possible. 
Our  course,  as  I  mentioned,  lay  along  the  side  of 
the  torrent ;  but  frequently  we  lost  sight  of  it,  though 
we  did  not  cease  to  hear  its  loud  roar,  as  the  foam- 
ing waters  rushed  over  its  rocky  bed.  I  calculated-, 
as  I  looked  at  it,  what  a  mighty  torrent  would  be 
shortly  hurrying  onward,  when  the  snows  above 
melted  by  the  heat  of  the  approaching  summer.  At 
length,  climbing  another  rock,  we  saw  not  fifty 
yards  from  us  the  sad  spectacle  of  which  we  were  in 
search,  the  fragments  of  the  waggon  and  the  dead 
horses.  We  hurried  on,  and  soon  reached  the  spot. 
Already  over  the  liorses  were  hovering  eight  or  ten 
huge  vultures,  flapping  their  wings  as  they  alighted, 
while  with  unearthly  cries  they  tore  away  the  flesh 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  279 

writli  their  sharp  talons  and  hooked  beaks.  They 
seemed  incHned  to  dispute  their  prey  with  us ;  but 
on  Obed  and  I  firing  we  killed  two  of  them,  and  the 
rest  flew  otf ;  but  we  could  see  them  hovering  in  the 
distance,  ready  to  pounce  down  again  as  soon  as  wo 
had  retired.  We  instantly  set  to  work  with  our 
crowbars  and  poles  to  turn  over  the  broken  waggon. 
The  sight  which  met  our  eyes  was  sad  indeed. 
There  lay  the  two  young  men,  fearfully  crushed  and 
mangled,  directly  under  the  waggon.  They  must 
have  clung  to  it  as  it  descended,  or  have  been  en- 
tangled among  the  goods  in  it.  They  must  instantly 
have  been  killed.  We  had  wished  to  carry  the  bodies 
back  to  the  camp,  but  in  consequence  of  the  imprac- 
ticable character  of  the  road  we  had  come  over,  this 
was  impossible.  We  hunted  about  till  at  last  we  dis- 
covered a  sort  of  basin  among  the  rocks,  into  which 
the  earth  from  above  had  washed.  Here  we  dug 
two  graves  as  deep  as  time  would  allow,  and  with 
scant  ceremony,  though  not  without  a  tear,  we 
placed  in  them  the  two  brothers.  We  knew  that 
prayers  for  them  were  of  no  avail ;  they  had  gone  to 
their  account ;  but  we  did  pray  that  we  might  not 
thus  be  hurriedly  snatched  away  without  a  warning. 
Tliere  were  plenty  of  slabs  of  stone  on  the  side  of 
the  mountain,  chipped  off  by  winter  frosts  and  sum- 
mer heats  and  rains,  and  so  we  placed  one  at  the 
head  of  each  grave,  and  then  we  left  them  to  sleep 
on  undisturbed.     Probably  many  ages  may  roll  bj 


280         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

before  that  spot  is  again  visited  by  human  footsteps. 
So  engaged  had  we  been  in  our  painful  employment 
that  we  did  not  perceive  how  rapidly  daylight  was 
decreasing,  and  before  we  had  proceeded  half  a  mile 
on  our  return  journey  we  came  to  the  disagreeable 
conclusion  that  we  should  be  benighted  before  we 
could  possibly  reach  the  camp.  Still  we  of  course 
pushed  on  as  long  as  we  could  see  our  way.  As  we 
had  had  no  food  since  the  morning,  we  were  des- 
perately hungry ;  but  as  Obed  observed,  "  I  guess 
we've  plenty  of  water,  mates,  and  may-be  we  shall 
kill  a  rattlesnake,  and  that  won't  be  bad  eating." 
The  cold  we  did  not  much  mind,  though  somewhat 
icy  blasts  came  down  the  glen,  for  we  were  pretty 
well  inured  to  that ;  but  as  we  had  nothing  since 
the  morning,  our  stomachs  craved  lustily  for  food, 
and  I  would  have  tried  my  teeth  on  the  flesh  of  a 
gaunt  wolf,  or  even  on  one  of  the  vultures  we  had 
killed,  if  we  could  have  got  at  them.  We  found  our 
way  in  among  a  circle  of  boulders,  and  there  we 
passed  the  night,  and  a  most  unpleasant  one  it  was. 
At  the  earliest  dawn  we  were  on  foot,  but  it  took  us 
nearly  two  hours  to  reach  the  camp.  I  will  not 
describe  the  lamentations  of  the  Leary  family  when 
we  gave  them  an  account  of  our  proceedings — the 
shrieks  and  wailings  which  the  poor  women  com- 
menced, and  continued  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
next  twenty-four  hours.  As  there  was  plenty  of 
■wood,  water,  and  grass  for  the  cattle,  we  determined 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  281 

to  remain  there  a  day,  to  prepare  for  our  journey 
along  the  level  country.  To  avoid  the  lamentations 
of  the  unhappy  wives,  as  soon  as  I  had  performed 
the  part  of  the  work  allotted  to  me  for  the  general 
good,  I  stole  from  the  camp  to  enjoy  some  portion 
of  quiet.  When  the  sun  got  up,  as  the  wind  was 
from  the  west,  the  heat  became  very  great,  and  I 
did  jiot  feel  inclined  to  move  very  fast. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  camp,  I  observed  several 
hawks  hovering  round  a  spot  in  the  wood,  the  abode 
probably  of  some  rabbits,  hares,  or  other  small  game. 
By  cautiously  creeping  on,  I  got  within  shot  of  one 
of  them.  I  fired,  and  down  tumbled  the  monster 
bird.  He  was  a  huge  creature,  with  a  large  hooked 
beak  and  immense  claws,  who,  if  he  could  not  have 
carried  off  a  lamb  or  a  goose,  would  have  had  no 
trouble  in  flying  away  with  a  duck,  or  a  fowl,  or  a 
rabbit.  I  observed  where  the  others  went  to,  and 
followed  them  till  I  reached  a  tolerably  accessible 
cliff,  at  the  top  of  which  a  whole  colony  seemed  to 
reside  ;  big  and  little,  sires  and  offspring,  were  cir- 
cling around,  and  making  themselves  quite  at  home. 
Having  a  fancy  to  examine  the  nature  of  their 
habitations,  I  looked  about  me  to  see  how  I  could 
get  up  the  cliff,  and  with  my  pole  alone  in  hand 
commenced  the  ascent.  This,  from  the  nature  of 
the  ground,  was  not  very  difficult ;  and  I  had  got 
within  a  dozen  feet  or  so  from  their  nests,  and  was 
standing  on  a  broad  ledge,  looking  up  to  ascertain 

24* 


282         Dick  Onflow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

how  I  could  best  ascend  higher,  when  they  espied 
me,  or,  as  they  had  been  all  along  watching  me, 
they  probably  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was 
time  to  put  a  stop  to  my  further  proceedings.  I  had 
iust  discovered  their  nest,  which  was  as  large  as  such 
baskets  as  market  women  carry  on  their  heads.  It 
was  composed  of  twigs  and  small  sticks,  none  less 
than  an  inch  in  circumference.  On  the  ledge  below 
it  were  scattered  numerous  bones,  and  the  skeletons 
and  half-mangled  bodies  of  pigeons,  hares,  and  a 
variety  of  small  birds.  Without  much  consideration, 
1  constituted  myself  the  champion  of  the  smaller 
denizens  of  the  wood,  and,  axe  in  hand,  was  ascend- 
ing to  knock  the  robber  stronghold  to  pieces,  when 
old  and  young,  with  fierce  cries,  made  a  desperate 
sortie  to  drive  off  the  assailant  of  their  castle.  Down 
they  came  upon  me  with  the  most  desperate  fury, 
dashing  at  my  head  and  face,  and  evidently  aiming 
at  my  eyes.  I  struck  riglit  and  left  with  my  axe, 
but  it  is  a  bad  weapon  for  defence,  and  they  laughed 
at  all  my  efforts,  only  wheeling  round  to  renew  the 
attack. 

Ten  times  rather  would  I  have  had  a  combat 
with  a  dozen  wolves,  or  a  hungry  grizzly.  I  should 
instantly  have  had  both  my  eyes  torn  from  their 
sockets,  hjid  I  not  kept  my  left  arm  like  a  shield 
before  them ;  and  as  it  Was,  my  forehead  got  some 
ugly  blows  which  almost  drove  in  the  bone,  while 
the  blood  flowing  from  the  wounds  nearly  blinded 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West,  283 

me.  Never  have  I  felt  so  unmanned,  —  so  terribly 
alarmed.  It  was  like  being  attacked  by  a  host  of 
demons.  I  could  not  seek  safety  in  flight,  for  I 
should  have  broken  my  neck,  as  I  dared  not  for  a 
moment  move  my  left  arm  from  before  my  face, 
while  my  right  was  fully  occupied  in  dealing  blows 
on  every  side  at  my  fierce  enemies.  I  shrieked  out 
at  the  top  of  my  voice  with  downright  terror,  but 
I  was  too  far  from  the  camp,  I  fancied,  to  have 
any  hope  of  being  heard.  Even  my  right  arm  be- 
gan to  get  weary  with  striking  at  the  empty  air, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  boldness  of  my  assailants 
increased.  They  attacked  me  in  rear  as  well  as  in 
front,  darting  against  my  neck  and  the  back  of  my 
ears,  and  so  terribly  did  they  beat  me  that  I  began 
fully  to  believe  that  I  should  be  done  to  death  by 
birds.  Still,  had  it  not  been  for  the  dread  of  losing 
my  eyes,  I  could  easily  have  escaped. 

At  last,  one  big  fellow,*  the  father  of  the  brood, 
pounced  down  and  hit  me  on  the  temple  within  an 
inch  of  my  right  eye. 

Just  then,  when  almost  in  despair,  I  heard  the 
voice  of  Sam  Short,  shouting  out,  "  Throw  yourself 
on  the  ground,  Dick ;  face  downward,  Dick." 

I  did  as  he  counselled,  and  the  next  moment  a 
shot  from  his  rifle  brought  down  my  chief  foe,  who 
fell  close  to  me.  Still  he  was  not  dead,  and  with 
the  fury  of  despair,  flapping  his  way  up  to  me,  he 
began  to   make  such   determined   attacks  on  my 


284         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

head,  that  I  feared  he  would  have  bit  off  ray  ear  be- 
fore I  was  able  to  disengage  my  right  hand,  with 
which  I  then  gave  him  a  blow  on  his  head  which 
made  him  quiet  for  ever.  Still  the  rest  of  the 
amiable  family  kept  circling  above  me,  giving  me 
most  disagreeable  prongs,  till  another  shot  from 
Short's  rifle,  killed  two  more,  and  the  rest,  discov- 
ering that  I  had  an  ally  in  the  field,  took  to  flight. 
He  then  came  up,  and  having  destroyed  the  nest, 
helped  me  down  the  cliff,  for  I  really  could  scarce- 
ly have  descended  by  myself,  so  completely  shaken 
were  my  nerves  with  the  novel  contest  in  which  I 
had  engaged.  I  begged  Sam  not  to  mention  in 
camp  what  had  occurred,  but  he  kept  my  counsel 
very  badly,  for  he  could  not  resist  asking  when  I 
would  like  to  go  birds'-nesting  again,  and  making 
so  many  other  allusions  that  I  thought  it  was  best 
to  tell  the  story,  and  got  heartily  laughed  at  for  my 
pains.  I,  however,  hav^  always  felt  that  it  was  no 
laughing  matter,  and  that  I  was  never  in  greater 
peril  than  on  that  occasion. 

We  next  day  proceeded  on  our  journey,  and  for 
ten  days  or  so  made  but  slow  progress,  as  we  had 
numerous  rivers  to  pass,  and  the  change  of  climate 
from  the  cold  of  the  mountains  to  the  heat  of  the 
plains  was  very  trying  to  man  and  boasts.  We  now 
took  to  encamping  during  the  middle  of  the  day, 
and  travelling  very  early  and  late.  In  that  way 
our  animals  got  two  unbroken  rests  instead  of  one, 
which  was  a  great  advantage. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  285 

One  day,  after  a  long  morning's  journey,  we  bad 
camped  near  a  stream  bordered  by  ricb  pastures  of 
red  and  white  clover.  As  I  have  hinted,  although 
I  was  on  the  most  friendly  terms  with  all  my  com- 
panions, I  now  and  then  had  a  longing  to  be  by  my- 
self, to  commune  with  my  own  thoughts,  and  to 
call  to  mind  friends  whose  ideas  and  manners  were 
so  dififerent  from  those  of  my  present  associates. 
As  I  frequently  did,  therefore,  I  left  tlie  camp,  and 
wandered  on  up  the  stream  till  I  came  to  a  little 
grove  of  sumach  and  cherry  trees,  under  whoso 
shade  I  sat  down  to  enjoy  the  cool  air,  and  to  watch 
the  clear  water  which  flowed  bubbling  by.  The 
sweet-scented  flowers  of  spring  were  bursting  oufc 
from  many  a  bush,  and  incumbering  the  ground 
around  me.  Their  balmy  odors  filled  my  nostrils, 
the  fresh  air  played  round  my  brow,  and  the  mur- 
mur of  the  stream  sounded  in  my  ears,  till  my 
pleased  senses  became  completely  overcome  by  the 
surrounding  soporific  influences,  and  wandered  far 
away  amid  the  regions  of  dreamland:  in  other 
words,  I  went  fast  asleep.  At  last  1  awoke,  and 
rubbed  and  rubbed  my  eyes ;  I  had  good  reason 
for  rubbing  them,  for  the  beautiful  landscape  on 
which  they  had  closed  was  no  longer  before  them. 
There  was  the  murmur  of  the  stream,  and  the  scent 
of  the  flowers,  but  obscurity  was  around  me,  and 
the  stars  were  glittering  brightly  overhead.  How 
far  in  the  night  it  was  I  could  not  guess.     How  to 


28G  Dick  Onslovj  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

follow  my  companions  too,  was  a  question,  as  it  was 
so  dark  that  I  could  not  have  found  my  way  to  the 
camp,  even  if  they  had  been  there.  The  only 
cause  I  could  then  assign  for  my  liaving  slept  so 
long,  was  that  I  must  have  been  surrounded  by 
some  herbs  of  soporific  power,  though,  perhaps,  the 
perfect  tranquillity  of  the  spot,  the  heat  of  the 
weather,  and  the  exertion  I  had  of  late  gone 
through  were  sufficient  reasons  for  the  unusual 
length  of  my  nap.  Having  no  hopes  of  overtaking 
my  friends  that  night,  1  judged  that  the  best  thing 
I  could  do,  was  to  stay  where  I  was  and  go  to  sleep 
again.  This  was,  however,  not  very  easy  to  do.  I 
was  lightly  clad,  and  the  niglit  damp  had  made  me 
feel  very  chilly.  It  was  not,  therefore,  till  morning 
that  sleep  again  overpowered  me.  It  would  have 
been  better  for  me  had  I  kept  awake.  Suddenly  I 
opened  my  eyes  with  a  start.  The  sun  had  already 
risen,  and  was  glancing  through  the  woods  on  my 
head.  I  heard  a  noise  —  a  rustling  in  the  grass.  I 
turned  my  head,  and  there,  to  my  horror,  I  beheld 
a  huge  rattlesnake  about  to  spring  on  me. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  2h7 


CHAPTER  XVni. 

A  fight  with  a  rattlesnake,  and  a  description  of  my  enemy.  —  Find  the 
camp  deserted.  —  Feel  very  hungry.  —  Kill  a  goose.  —  See  sctne 
horsemen  in  the  distance.  —  Find  a  river  between  me  and  them.  — 
Build  a  raft,  and  take  a  longer  voyage  than  I  intend.  —  Shoot  a  fall, 
and  have  the  pleasant  prospect  of  being  carried^own  a  cataract. 

I  SPRANG  up  as  if  I  had  been  galvanized,  and 
leaped  a  dozen  feet  or  more  away  from  the  fangs  of 
the  rattlesnake.  I  had  left  my  pole  at  the  camp, 
and  I  had  placed  my  rifle  by  my  side  when  I  went 
to  sleep.  There  it  lay  close  to  the  rattlesnake. 
My  axe  was  in  my  belt,  but  it  is  not  a  good  weapon 
for  the  attack  of  either  birds  or  snakes.  My  enemy 
was  advancing  toward  me,  his  tail  rattling  omi- 
nously. My  foot,  as  I  leaped  back,  struck  a  stone 
—  the  only  one  appearing  thereabouts  among  the 
grass.  I  seized  it,  and  dashed  it  down  on  the 
head  of  the  reptile,  who  was  not  then  a  yard  from 
me,  with  such  force  that  it  drove  its  body  right 
down  into  the  earth,  while  its  tail  wriggled  and 
rattled  away  in  a  vain  endeavor  to  extricate  itself. 
I  ran  and  picked  up  my  rifle,  and  looked  round  to 
see  that  I  had  left  nothing  behind  me.  I  could  not 
help  stopping,  before  I  proceeded  on  my  way,  to 
examine  the  creature  I  had  killed.     It  was  of  a 


288  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

yellowish-brown  color,  marked  all  down  its  back 
with  spots  of  a  dark  brown,  while ^ from  the  head 
down  the  neck  ran  three  longitudinal  lines  of  tlie 
same  hue.  The  head  was  large  and  flat,  and  cov- 
ered with  small  scales.  It  was  about  five  feet  long, 
and  as  thick  as  my  wrist,  and  altogetlier  a  very  for- 
midable-looking snake.  The  rattlesnake  has  a 
small  set  of  teeth,  which  serve  to  catch  and  retain 
its  prey,  and  the  poisonous  fangs  with  which  it  kills 
them.  These  latter  are  placed  in  the  upper  jaw, 
and  when  not  employed  remain  flat  along  it.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  deadly  of  poisonous  serpents,  and 
would  be  very  dangerous  were  it  not  that  it  is  very 
sluggish  in  its  movements,  and  that  it  has  a  rattle 
at  the  end  of  its  tail,  with  which  it  cannot  avoid 
giving  notice  of  its  approach.  The  rattle  is  a  col- 
lection of  bones,  formed  something  like  the  back- 
bone of  a  human  being.  It  looks  as  if  it  were  fas- 
tened on  outside  the  tail,  at  its  very  tip.  Tlie 
broad  part  of  the  rattle  is  placed  perpendicularly  to 
the  body,  and  it  is  so  contrived  that  each  bone 
strikes  against  two  others  at  the  same  time,  so  as  to 
multiply  the  rattling  sound.  I  have  often  thought 
how  glad  tlie  rattlesnake  would  be  to  get  rid  of  his 
rattle ;  just  as  a  person  with  a  bad  character,  justly 
obtained,  would  like  to  have  the  stigma  removed, 
that  he  may  commit  more  mischief  on  the  unwary. 
The  more  I  have  travelled,  and  the  longer  I  have 
lived,  the  greater  reason  I  have  to  admire  the  wou- 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  289 

derful  and  beautiful  arrangements  of  the  Creator 
of  all  things.  Why  venomous  serpents  were  formed 
I  cannot  say,  though  I  am  very  certain  it  was  for  a 
good  object ;  but  it  is  very  evident  why  the  snake 
I  have  been  describing  was  furnished  with  a  rattle 
—  that  man  might  be  warned  of  its  approach.  My 
examination  of  the  snake  did  not  last  long.  I  after- 
wards saw  and  killed  many  others.  Quitting  the 
spot  I  hurried  toward  tlie  camp.  When  I  thought 
that  I  had  gone  a  sufficient  distance,  I  expected  to 
hear  the  voices  of  my  associates ;  but  all  was  silent. 
I  pushed  on  as  fast  as  I  could  among  the  trees. 
The  camp  had  been  placed  in  a  pleasant  open  glade. 
I  was  certain  that  I  had  reached  the  spot.  I  looked 
round  on  every  side.  No  one  was  there  ;  but  there 
were  the  black  patches  where  the  fires  had  been, 
and  a  few  bones,  and  straw  scattered  about,  and 
other  signs  of  a  desefted  encampment.  From  the 
character  of  the  ground  the  trail  was  very  indistinct. 
Still  I  thought  that  I  could  fallow  it,  and  off  I  set 
as  fast  as  I  could  walk.  I  had  not  gone  far  before 
I  became  aware  that  I  had  lost  the  track.  I  looked 
about  in  every  direction  in  vain.  I  could  not  find 
it.  I  was  getting  very  hungry.  At  last  I  could  go 
on  no  longer  ;  so  I  bethought  me  that  I  would  kill 
some  bird  or  beast  for  breakfast.  On  examining, 
however,  my  powder-flask,  what  was  my  dismay  to 
find  that  I  had  only  five  or  six  charges  at  the  ut- 
most.    At  that  early  time  of  the  year  there  were 

86 


290  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

no  berries  or  wild  fruits  ripe.  Later  I  might  have 
found  wild  cherries  in  abundance,  and  raspberries, 
and  strawberries,  on  which  I  could  have  supported 
nature.  "  I  must  take  care  not  to  throw  a  shot 
away,"  I  said  to  myself,  as  I  looked  about  in  search 
of  game.  Just  then  I  saw  the  glimmer  of  water 
through  the  trees,  and  walking  on,  1  found  myself 
by  the  side  of  a  beautiful  lake,  a  mile  or  more  long, 
and  half  a  mile  wide.  I  was  not  (certainly  in  a 
humor  to  contemplate  its  beauty,  but  I  was  very 
much  in  the  mood  to  admire  some  flocks  of  geese 
and  ducks  which  were  disporting  themselves  on  its 
surface,  in  happy  ignorance  of  the  presence  of  man. 
I  almost  trembled  with  anxiety  as  I  crept  along  the 
margin  of  the  lake,  till  I  could  get  near  enough  to 
obtain  a  shot  at  one  of  them.  A  duck  would  have 
satisfied  me,  but  as  a  goose  being  larger  would  last 
longer,  I  waited  till  one  came  near.  A  stately 
fellow  came  gliding  up,  picking  insects  off"  the  reeds 
close  to  the  margin.  I  fired.  He  rose  and  flut- 
tered his  wings  awhile,  and  then  down  he  flopped 
close  to  me.  I  sprang  forward  like  a  famished  wolf, 
and  very  nearly  toppled  heels  over  head  into  the 
water,  when,  had  I  escaped  drowning,  I  should,  at 
all  events,  have  spoiled  the  remainder  of  my  pow- 
der in  my  eagerness  to  grasp  ray  prey.  At  first  he 
fluttered  away  from  the  land,  but  something  turned 
him,  and  he  came  back  so  close  that  I  caught  hold 
of  a  wing,  aiifl,  hauling  him  on  shore,  very  sooo 


•  An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  291 

put  an  end  to  his  sufferings.  To  collect  sticks,  light 
a  fire,  pluck,  and  clean  out  my  bird,  was  the  work 
of  a  few  minutes.  I  cannot  say  that  the  first  part 
I  ate  of  him  was  very  much  done,  for  I  tore  off"  a 
wing  and  then  put  the  body  back  to  get  more 
roasted  while  I  satisfied  the  more  violent  cravings 
of  hunger.  I  washed  down  my  breakfast  with  a 
draught  of  water  from  the  lake,  and  then  hurried 
on  again  toward  the  west.  Before,  when  I  had 
lost  my  friends,  I  dreaded  suffering  from  cold  ;  now 
I  had  to  fear  the  heat.  The  sun  came  down  with 
terrific  force  on  my  head,  and  seemed,  at  times,  as 
if  it  would  scorch  my  brain  to  a  cinder.  At  last  I 
felt  that  if  I  went  on  longer  I  might  be  struck  down 
by  it ;  so  I  threw  myself  on  the  grouud  under  the 
shade  of  a  wide-spreading  cedar,  in  a  little  wood, 
which  contained  besides  cedars,  pine  trees,  birch, 
wild  cherries,  hawthorn,  sweet  willow,  with  honey- 
suckle and  sumach.  I  slept  an  hour  or  more,  and, 
having  eaten  some  more  goose,  continued  my  jour- 
ney. Tliough  I  kept  my  eyes  actively  engaged  on 
every  side,  I  could  discover  no  trace  of  my  friends. 
It  was  evening  when,  as  I  was  travelling  along  the 
banks  of  a  river  toward  the  west,  I  saw  on  the  op- 
posite side,  and  on  tlie  summit  of  a  rocky  ridge, 
whicli  extended  at  a  distance  for  some  miles  parallel 
with  it,  two  horsemen.  From  the  way  they  rode 
along  I  had  no  doubt  that  they  were  my  friends,  the 
Raggets,  in  search  of  me.     Had  tUev  becx  going 


'292  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  ;* 

east  I  might  have  had  hopes  of  cutting  them  off  on 
their  return  ;  but  they  were  moving  west,  and  going 
from  me.  I  shouted  at  the  top  of  my  voice,  though 
at  that  distance  they  could  not  possibly  hear  me.  I 
took  off  my  jacket ;  I  waved  it  frantically.  I  was 
about  to  plunge  into  the  river  to  swim  across,  but 
the  current  was  very  strong  and  rapid,  swelled  by 
the  melting  snows  of  the  mountauis.  I  had  good 
reason  to  dread  being  carried  away  should  I  make 
the  attempt.  I  ran  on,  hoping  to  find  a  ford  or  some 
high  spot  whence  my  signals  might  be  more  easily 
seen.  No  elevated  ground  appeared,  but  the  banks 
were  very  uneven,  sometimes  rocky,  in  some  places 
overgrown  with  brushwood,  so  that  my  progress  was 
very  slow,  and  the  horsemen  disappeared  in  the 
distance. 

It  soon  after  this  grew  dark,  and  this  circumstance 
made  me  hope  that  should  the  horsemen  I  had  seen 
have  been  the  Raggets,  the  camp  could  not  be  very 
far  off;  but  then  again  I  had  sufficient  experience  to 
teach  me  that  it  would  be  vain  to  attempt  reaching 
it  in  the  dark.  I  had  now  to  look  about  for  a  place 
in  which  to  pass  the  night.  I  wished  to  avoid  the 
vicinity  of  rattlesnakes  as  well  as  of  bears  and  wolves. 
I  selected  a  dry  bank  near  the  river,  and  set  to  work 
io  collect  a  quantity  of  long  grass  which  grew  about, 
not  only  to  form  a  mattress,  but  to  protect  me  from 
the  cold  and  the  dew  of  the  night.  The  thick  grass 
cut  my  hands  sadly  as  I  plucked  it,  and  laughed  at 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  293 

the  efforts  of  my  axe  to  cut  it  down.  At  length, 
however,  I  managed  to  cut  and  pluck  enough  for 
my  purpose,  and,  piling  it  in  an  oblong  heap,  I  bur- 
rowed under  it  long-ways,  keeping  a  bundle  in  my 
hands  to  serve  as  a  pillow.  I  was  surprised  to  find 
how  warm  and  comfortable  I  felt. 

I  was  congratulating  myself  on  this,  and  was  just 
dozing  off  into  sleep,  when  I  was  roused  up  again 
by  the  dreadful  sound  of  the  rattlesnake's  tail.  1 
started  up  to  listen  from  which  side  the  serpent  was 
approaching ;  for  had  I  moved  I  might  have  run 
directly  on  it.  A  horror  seized  me.  It  appeared  as 
if  I  was  surrounded  by  the  creatures.  On  every  side 
of  me  there  was  the  same  noise.  I  began  to  fancy 
that  I  was  dreaming.  I  had  never  heard  of  so  many 
rattlesnakes  beiii^  found  together.  Still  I  was  sure 
that  I  was  awake.  There  was  the  noise  again.  It 
was  quite  close  to  me.  I  put  out  my  hand  and 
caught  a  grasshopper,  myatber  a  sort  of  locust. 
The  sound  of  their  wings  resembles  very  much  that 
made  by  the  rattlesnake  when  about  to  dart  on  its 
prey.  I  was  sure  that  was  the  noise  I  had  heard. 
"  There  may  be  thousands  of  them  for  what  I  care  ; 
they  can't  eat  or  sting  me,"  I  said  to  myself;  and 
then  I  went  fast  asleep. 

I  awoke  very  much  refreshed,  but  so  strongly  had 
the  thought  of  rattlesnakes  been  impressed  on  my 
uiind,  that  my  first  impulse  on  waking  was  to  look 
cautiously  round  to  ascertain  that  none  were  near. 

25* 


294  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

Finding  tliat,  as  far  as  I  could  see,  the  coast  was 
clear,  I  jumped  up  and  shook  myself,  then  hathed 
my  face  in  the  river,  and,  whicli  I  never  failed  to  do, 
said  my  prayers,  returned  thanks  to  Him  who  had 
hitlierto  so  mercifully  preserved  me,  and  continued 
on  my  journey. 

I  was  now  anxious  to  get  to  the  other  bank  of  the 
river,  which  I  was  convinced  my  companions  had 
crossed  by  some  ford  higher  up,  and  which  I  had 
missed.  In  vain,  however,  I  searched  for  one  ;  the 
river,  as  I  advanced,  grew  wider  and  more  rapid, 
as  more  streams  poured  into  it ;  and  at  length  1 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  I  must  either  go  back 
again  till  I  had  found  the  ford,  or  swim  the  river 
and  ferry  over  my  gun  and  powder-horn,  or  con- 
struct a  raft,  and  attempt  the  passage  on  it  myself. 
While  I  was  balancing  in  my  mind  which  I  should 
do,  my  eye  fell  on  a  patch  of  withes  or  osiers, 
growing  in  a  shallow  bei^^f  the  river  close  to  tlie 
bank.  This  decided  me.  I  would  make  a  raft, 
for  the  withes  would  enable  me  to  fasten  it  together. 
I  set  to  work,  and  cut  down  with  my  faithful  axe  a 
number  of  young  trees,  selecting  furs,  and  those  of 
the  lighter  description  of  wood.  That  reminds  me, 
that  I  would  advise  every  traveller  in  wild  countries 
to  carry  an  axe,  and  to  know  how  to  use  it.  It  is  a 
weapon  which  to  use  properly  requires  both  care 
and  practice. 

In  my  search  for  fit  trees,  I  came  upon  several 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  295 

dry  logs,  which,  from  being  so  much  lighter  than 
the  green  trees,  were  very  valuable.  Having  col- 
lected my  materials,  I  commenced  the  construction 
of  the  raft,  and  finished  it  in  half  an  hour,  very 
much  to  my  satisfaction.  I  built  it  partly  in  the 
water,  so  that  I  might  have  less  difficulty  in 
launching  it.  I  had  to  prepare  a  very  essential 
implement  to  enable  me  to  perform  my  voyage, 
namely,  a  long  pole,  witli  which  to  shove  the  raft 
along.  I  had  cut  down  a  tall  sapling,  and  cleared  it 
of  its  boughs,  when  I  heard  a  rushing  noise,  louder 
than  that  hitherto  produced  by  the  current.  I  ran 
toward  the  river,  dragging  my  pole,  when,  as  I  got 
near  it,  I  saw  that  a  fresh  body  of  water,  caused  by 
the  rapid  melting  of  the  snow,  or  by  the  giving  way 
of  some  natural  dam  higher  up  the  stream,  was 
rushing  down  the  channel,  and  raising  its  waters 
considerably  above  their  usual  level.  I  was  just 
in  time  to  see  my  raft, '-which  I  had  constructed 
with  so  much  labor,  and  which  I  liad  left  safely 
resting  on  the  shore,  slowly  gliding  away  from  it. 
I  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  losing  it,  and,  with- 
out a  moment's  consideration,  I  made  a  rush  into 
the  water,  caught  hold  of  it  just  as  I  found  myself 
up  to  my  middle,  and  with  a  spring  threw  myself 
flat  upon  it,  still,  however,  keeping  hold  of  my 
pole.  The  shove  I  of  necessity  gave  the  raft  sent 
it  further  from  the  shore,  and  by  the  time  I  gained 
my  feet,  and  was  in  a  position  to  attempt  guiding 


296  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  &cins : 

the  raft,  I  found  that  it  had  got  completely  out 
in  the  impetuous  current,  and  was  being  rapidly 
hurried  down  it.  I  tried  to  reach  the  bottom  with 
my  pole,  and  though  I  succeeded,  I  could  in  no 
way  stem  the  current.  I  should  have  been  wiser 
had  I  tried  to  get  back  to  the  shore  I  had  left ;  in- 
stead of  this,  by  following  up  my  first  purpose  of 
crossing,  I  quickly  got  into  a  stronger  part  of  the 
current,  and  was  sent  whirling  more  quickly  down- 
ward. Holding  my  pole,  I  balanced  myself  as  well 
as  I  could,  prepared  for  any  emergency.  The  river 
was  four  or  five  hundred  yards  wide  at  least,  and  I 
saw  that  I  could  not  hope  on  this  part  to  reach  the 
opposite  or  northern  shore.  The  river  seemed  free 
from  rocks,  and  as  there  was  no  particular  danger 
that  I  saw  to  be  apprehended,  it  occurred  to  me 
that  I  was  prosecuting  my  journey  in  a  far  more 
expeditious  and  pleasant  way  than  I  had  expected. 
I  was  congratulating  myself  on  this  circumstance, 
when  I  became  suddenly  conscious  that  the  noise 
of  the  rusliing  water  had  greatly  increased.  Look- 
ing ahead  down  tiie  river,  the  water  seemed  to  bub- 
ble and  foam  more  than  where  I  was,  while  a  cloud 
of  mist  hung  over  the  spot.  The  dreadful  convic- 
tion forced  itself  on  me  that  I  was  approaching  a 
rapid,  or  perhaps  a  waterfall,  down  which  I  should 
be  whirled  hopelessly,  and  dashed  to  pieces.  Again 
I  plunged  my  pole  to  the  bottom,  but  it  only  made 
the  raft  whirl  round  —  I  had  no  power  of  guiding 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  297 

it.  On  it  went.  The  raft  began  to  tumble  and 
pitch  ;  it  was  in  a  rapid  of  considerable  length. 
The  additional  rush  of  water  hid  many  of  the 
rocks ;  now  and  then,  however,  I  saw  their  black 
tops  rising  out  of  the  mass  of  foam  which  sur- 
rounded them.  I  prayed  that  I  might  not  strike 
one.  I  looked  anxiously  ahead  wnth  compressed 
lips.  The  water  roared,  and  foamed,  and  hissed 
about  me.  I  might  have  been  proud  of  my  raft- 
making  skill ;  had  not  my  ark  been  well  built  it 
would  soon  have  gone  to  pieces.  Before  long  my 
fears  were  with  reason  increased.  Before  me  rose 
a  line  of  black  rocks.  There  seemed  scarcely  room 
for  the  raft  to  pass  between  them.  I  could  no 
longer  keep  my  feet.  I  sat  down,  holding  my  pole. 
The  raft  was  driving  directly  down  upon  a  rock.  It 
swerved  a  little.  I  shoved  my  pole  against  the 
rock,  and  it  glanced  clear.  On  it  went  —  but  nu- 
merous other  dangers  appeared.  1  was  whirled  by 
the  rocks,  the  foam  dashed  from  them  flying  over 
me.  I  felt  a  dreadful  blow;  the  raft  quivered.  I 
thought  all  was  over  with  me,  but  it  floated  clear 
of  the  rock  against  which  it  had  struck,  and  on  I 
went.  Suddenly  the  jerking  motion  of  the  raft 
ceased.  I  was  clear  of  the  rapid.  I  tried  again 
to  pole  toward  the  shore,  but  the  water  was  so 
deep,  and  the  current  so  rapid,  tiiat  I  was  able  to 
make  but  slight  progress  across  the  river,  when  tho 
raft  began  to  pitch  again,  and  I  found  that  I  wag 


298  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

in  another  rapid.  Away  I  was  whirled  as  before 
Tliere  were  more  rocks  in  this  rapid  ;  at  all  events 
the  raft  drove  against  more,  and  it  began  to  suffer 
from  the  repeated  sliocks  it  was  receiving — parts  of 
it  got  loosened,  and  I  dreaded  every  moment  to  see 
it  part  asunder,  and  to  find  myself  hurried  amid  its 
fragments  to  destruction.  Again  a  space  of  smootli 
water  appeared,  but  it  was  smooth  because  it  was 
deep,  and  1*  could  make  but  little  way  toward  the 
shore  among  its  whirling  eddies.  Still  for  the  pres- 
ent I  was  safe,  and  had  time  to  look  about  me. 
Thus  I  floated  on,  wlien  a  loud  tliundcring  noise 
assailed  my  ears,  and  a  mass  of  mist  rose  before  Biy 
eyes,  giving  evidence  indubitable  tliat  I  was  ap- 
proaching a  formidable  cataract.  1  had  seen  Ni- 
agara. Should  tiiis  be  only  half  its  hciglit  it  woi  Id 
be  sufficient  to  make  mincemeat  of  me.  In  vai/  1 
looked  around  for  aid,  and  clinging  desperately  Ui 
my  raft,  I  resigned  myself  to  my  fate. 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  299 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Dntxp*ctedly  reach  the  bank,  and  land  in  tafety.  —  My  clothes  are  m 
tatters.  —  After  making  a  long  journey Jind  that  I  have  returned  to 
the  very  spot  J  left.  —  Encounter  a  hungry  wolf.  —  Suffer  from  want 
of  water.  —  Meet  a  lynx,  hut  find  no  liquid.  —  Go  to  bed  among 
tome  nests  of  rattlesnakes.  —  Slaughter  a  host  of  snakes  and  sip  the 
dew  of  the  nun-ning.  —  More  rattlesnakes.  —  My  onward  journey 
continued.  —  My  ci-y  is  still  for  water.  —  Obtain  a  larger  share  than 
I  require.  —  /  swim  down  the  stream,  and  on  landing  am  receivea 
by  a  huge  grizzly. 

There  was  only  one  way  I  conceived  by  which, 
humanly  speaking,  I  could  possibly  have  been 
saved.  I  was  whirled  furiously  down  the  current. 
I  saw,  a  short  distance  before  me,  the  commence- 
ment of  the  rapid  which  led  to  the  cataract,  when 
I  felt  the  raft  turn  slightly  round,  and  half  stop,  as 
it  were,  and  by  the  appearance  of  the  water  I  was 
convinced  that  it  had  got  into  an  eddy.  I  darted 
down  my  pole.  It  speedily  struck  the  bottom.  I 
shoved  on  with  all  my  might.  New  energy  re- 
turned to  me.  I  sprang  to  my  feet.  The  raft  no 
longer  advanced  toward  the  rapid,  but  I  found  that 
I  could  urge  it  surely  and  steadily  toward  the 
shore.  A  shout  of  joy,  and  an  exclamation  of 
thankfulness  escaped  my  lips  as  it  reached  the 
bank,  and,  by  the  aid  of  my  pole,  I  leaped  on  to 


300  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

tne  dry  laud  a  dozen  feet  at  least  from  the  edge.  1 
was  preserved  from  immediate  death.  But  where 
had  I  drifted  to  ?  Where  were  my  friends  ?  What 
prospect  had  I  of  obtaining  food  to  sustain  life  till 
I  could  find  them  ?  All  these  were  questions  which 
I  a«ked  myself,  but  to  which  I  could  give  no  satis- 
factory answer.  Scarcely  had  I  reached  the  shore 
than  my  raft,  which  I  had  not  secured  to  it,  began 
to  drift  away.  Onward  it  went  down  the  stream.  I 
could  not  recover  it;  so  a  very  natural  impulse 
made  me  follow  its  course  along  the  banks.  I  ran 
on  for  two  or  three  hundred  yards,  when  I  arrived 
at  the  edge  of  a  roaring  cataract,  some  forty  feet 
deep  at  least.  First,  there  was  a  foaming  rapid, 
with  here  and  there  black  rocks  appearing  amid 
the  sea  of  froth,  and  then  came  a  dark  treacherous 
mass  of  water,  which  curled  over  and  fell  down- 
wards in  a  broad  curtain  into  a  deep  pool,  out  of 
which  there  arose  a  cloud  of  dense  spray  witli  a 
deafening  roar  ;  and  then  the  river  went  gliding 
away,  dark  and  smooth,  in  innumerable  eddies, 
showing  the  rapidity  of  the  current,  till  it  was  con- 
cealed by  thick  woods  and  rocks.  I  now  felt  more 
than  ever  how  deeply  grateful  I  ought  to  be  for  the 
way  I  had  been  preserved,  for  not  an  instant  longer 
could  I  have  existed  had  I  once  reached  the  edge 
of  the  cataract. 

I  had,  however,  no  time  to  lose,  so  shouldering 
my  rifle  and  pole,  I  struck  off  at  a  right  angle  from 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  301 

the  course  of  the  river,  hoping  thus  to  corae  across 
the  track  of  my  late  companions.  I  had,  it  must  be 
remembered,  but  two  charges  of  powder  remaining, 
and  as  at  that  season  of  the  year  there  were  no 
fruits  ripe,  my  existence  depended  on  my  making 
an  economical  use  of  them.  I  had  another  source 
of  anxiety  I  had  left  the  camp  in  a  pair  of  thin 
old  shoes,  and  they  were  now  so  worn  out  and 
coming  so  completely  to  pieces,  that  they  no  longer 
afforded  any  protection  to  my  feet,  which  were 
already  cruelly  cut.  My  only  resource,  therefore, 
was  to  tear  ofif  the  sleeves  of  my  jacket,  with  which 
I  bound  them  up.  This  afforded  me  some  relief; 
but  the  grouifd  near  the  river  was  in  many  places 
rocky,  so  that  these  bandages  quickly  again  wore 
out.  The  sky,  too,  became  cloudy,  and  the  wind 
changed  constantly,  so  that  when  I  got  into  a  hollow 
where  I  could  not  see  any  distant  object  by  which  to 
guide  my  course,  I  was  often  uncertain  in  which 
direction  I  was  going.  I  found  also,  after  I  left  the 
river,  a  great  scarcity  of  water ;  the  heat  had  dried 
up  all  the  water  holes  and  rivnlets,  and  I  thus 
began  to  suffer  much  from  thirst.  The  pangs  in- 
creased as  I  walked  on.  I  might  have  killed  a  bird, 
or  some  animal,  and  quenched  my  thirst  with  their 
blood ;  but  as  I  might  require  tlieir  flesh  for  food,  T 
did  not  wish  to  expend  a  charge  of  powder  till  my 
present  stock  of  meat  was  expended.  It  was  get- 
ting dark.     I  was  more  thirsty  than  hungry ;  so  on 

36 


302         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

I  went  in  the  hopes  of  reaching  a  spring  before  it 
was  quite  dark.  I  looked  about  me.  After  a  time 
I  could  not  help  fancying  that  the  features  of  the 
country  were  very  similar  to  those  through  which  I 
had  passed  some  hours  before,  and  at  length  the 
disagreeable  fact  forced  itself  on  me  that  I  had  re- 
turned back  on  my  own  track,  and  that  all  my  late 
exertions  had  been  completely  thrown  away.  For 
an  instant  I  felt  very  much  inclined  to  despair  of 
reaching  my  friends,  but  I  quickly  recovered  myself, 
and  the  clouds  clearing  away  in  the  west,  the  glow 
of  the  setting  sun  showed  me  the  right  direction  to 
take.  I  therefore  determined  to  push  on  as  long  as 
the  least  glimmer  of  light  enabled  tae  to  find  my 
way. 

I  had  not  gone  far,  however,  when  I  heard  a 
rustling  noise  in  a  copse  close  to  which  I  was  pass- 
ing, and  presently  out  of  it  stalked  a  huge  gaunt 
wolf,  and  planted  himself  before  me  in  a  threaten- 
ing attitude,  some  twenty  paces  in  advance,  as  if  he 
had  resolved  to  dispute  my  onward  progress.  My 
first  impulse  was  naturally  to  fire,  but  I  recollected 
tliat  if  I  did  I  might  not  possibly  kill  him,  as  I  had 
only  small  shot,  and  that  though  I  did  kill  him,  his 
flesh  would  be  far  from  pleasant  food.  I  knew  that 
if  I  showed  the  slightest  symptoms  of  fear  he  might 
fly  at  me,  so  I  faced  him  boldly,  as  I  had  faced 
many  of  his  brethren  before,  and  tried  to  look  some- 
what braver  than  I  felt.     I  waved  my  long  polo 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  303 

toward  him,  and  advanced  a  pace  or  two,  on  which 
he  retreated,  still  keeping  his  piercing  eye  fixed 
savagely  on  me.  Again  I  advanced,  and  began 
shouting  as  loud  as  I  could,  hoping  thus  to  frighten 
him  away,  but  instead  of  this  he  set  up  the  most 
terrific  howls,  which  I  could  not  help  interpreting 
as  invitations  to  his  comrades  to  assemble  from  far 
and  near,  in  order  to  make  a  meal  on  my  carcass. 
The  more  he  liowled  tho  louder  I  shouted,  and  'the 
odd  idea  occurring  to  me  that  if  I  shouted  out 
real  names  the  wolf  would  be  more  alarmed,  I 
called  by  name  on  all  the  Raggets,  and  Shorts,  and 
Noggins  to  come  to  my  assistance,  and  looked 
round,  pretending  that  I  expected  them  to  appear. 
The  wolf,  I  thought,  winked  his  wicked  eye,  as 
much  as  to  say,  "  That's  all  gammon ;  don't  sup- 
pose you  can  do  an  old  soldier  like  me ; "  but  I 
cannot  say  positively,  as  it  was  growing  dark.  Still 
he  would  not  move,  and  I  had  no  wish  to  get  nearer 
his  fangs.  I  continued  shouting,  and  he  went  on 
howling,  and  a  sweet  concert  we  must  have  made, 
for  I  had  bawled  till  I  was  hoarse.  I  have  an  idea 
that  my  shouts  kept  his  friends  away.  Perhaps  it 
prevented  them  from  hearing  what  he  was  saying. 
At  length,  much  to  my  relief,  I  saw  him  turn  his 
head,  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other,  and 
then  about  he  went,  as  if  he  had  given  up  all  hopes 
of  his  expected  supper,  and  away  he  skulked  into 
the  wood.     On  secina'  this  mv  coura<2;c  rose  to  the 


304  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

highest  pitch,  and  after  him  I  went,  shaking  my 
pole  and  shouting  and  shrieking  and  hallooing  at 
the  very  top  of  my  voice  to  expedite  his  movements ; 
and  it  is  my  belief  that  he  was  so  frightened  that 
he  did  not  stop  again  to  look  round  till  he  had  got 
many  a  mile  from  where  he  met  me  ;  though  I  own 
that,  when  we  first  set  eyes  on  each  other,  I  was 
much  the  most  frightened  of  the  two. 

The  shades  of  evening  were  now  approaching,  and 
I  was  anxious  to  find  a  place  in  which  I  could  spend 
the  niglit  in  tolerable  safety.  Scarcely,  however, 
had  the  wolf  disappeared,  than  an  old  lynx,  followed 
by  a  young  one,  trotted  up  close  to  me.  I  got  my 
rifle  ready,  but  rather  than  fire  I  began  shouting 
and  shrieking  as  before,  and  they  continued  their 
course  without  molesting  me.  My  great  wish  was 
now  to  find  water.  A  draught  of  the  pure  liquid 
would  have  appeared  like  the  richest  nectar.  Hur- 
rying on,  I  saw  a  green  spot  with  some  rushes  grow- 
ing near.  "  There  must  be  water,"  I  exclaimed, 
rushing  on  with  eager  haste,  like  the  pilgrim  in  the 
desert,  toward  the  longed-for  oasis,  even  fancying 
that  I  saw  the  shining  surface  through  the  trees.  I 
reached  the  spot ;  I  looked  about ;  there  were  the 
rushes  sure  enough,  and  there  had  been  the  water, 
but  it  was  dried  up.  Oh,  how  thirsty  I  felt !  I 
thought  I  might  find  some  moisture  at  the  roots  of 
the  rushes.  I  pulled  them  up  and  sucked  eagerly 
at   them,  but  they  afforded  no   moisture   to  my 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  305 

parched  lips.  I  had  no  resource,  therefore,  but  to 
go  liquidless  to  bed.  It  was  rapidly  getting  dark, 
so  I  had  no  time  to  lose.  I  saw  a  large  stone  at  a 
little  distance,  and  thinking  that  it  would  afford  me 
some  protection  if  I  slept  beside  it,  I  began  to  pull 
up  some  rushes  with  which  to  form  my  bed.  Hav- 
ing collected  as  many  as  I  could  carry,  I  took  them 
to  the  spot  and  threw  them  on  the  ground.  I  went 
back  for  more,  and  having  scattered  them  about, 
and  piled  up  a  few  for  a  pillow,  was  about  to  throw 
myself  on  this  quickly-formed  couch  when  I  saw, 
just  under  the  stone,  what  I  at  first  took  for  a  stick, 
but  which  then  beginning  to  move,  exhibited  itself 
to  me  as  a  monstrous  rattlesnake,  with  its  body 
coiled  up  and  its  head  erect,  its  fierce  eyes  glitter- 
ing, and  its  forked  tongue  moving  rapidly  to  and 
fro  as  if  eager  to  bite  me.  I  had  disturbed  it  from 
its  slumbers,  and  it  was  naturally  excessively  angry. 
I  did  not  stop  to  let  it  bite  me,  but  sprang  back 
several  feet  before  I  recovered  my  usual  coolness.  I 
felt  sadly  conscious  tliat  I  was  not  like  myself,  and 
that  my  nervous  system  was  very  much  upset. 
Regaining  my  self-possession  pretty  quickly,  how- 
ever, I  once  more  advanced,  and  settled  the  crea- 
ture with  a  blow  of  my  stick. 

The  strokes  I  gave  the  ground  soon  roused  up 
several  other  rattlesnakes,  and  I  found  that  a  whole 
brood  were  collected  under  the  stone.  As  they  are 
slow-moving  creatures,  I  was  able  to  kill  every  one 

26* 


306  Dick  Onsloic  and  the  Red  Skins : 

of  them  before  they  could  escape.  They  would  have 
been  somewhat  unpleasant  companions  to  me  during 
my  nocturnal  slumbers.  Scarcely  had  a  dispatched 
my  rattle-tailed  enemies  than,  turning  over  with 
my  foot  some  smaller  stones  near  the  big  one,  out 
wriggled  a  number  of  other  snakes,  black,  brown, 
and  yellow,  twisting  and  turning  amid  the  grass, 
many  making  directly  toward  me.  To  be  sur- 
rounded, even  in  daylight,  by  such  creatures,  would 
have  been  especially  unpleasant,  but  in  the  dusk, 
when  I  could  scarcely  see  them,  the  sensations  I 
experienced  were  scarcely  bearable.  I  felt  inclined 
to  shriek  out  at  the  top  of  my  voice,  but  I  restrained 
myself,  and  began  slashing  away  right  and  left  with 
my  stick.  Some  I  killed,  but  the  others,  being  more 
nimble  than  the  rattlesnakes,  escaped.  Still  I  could 
not  venture  to  proceed  in  the  dark,  nor  could  I  stay 
on  my  legs  all  night ;  but  I  had  no  fancy  to  sleep 
near  where  I  had  killed  the  snakes.  I  looked  about, 
therefore,  for  another  suitable  spot,  and  having 
selected  it,  I  lashed  about  in  every  direction  with 
my  stick,  so  that  any  lurking  serpent  must  of  neces- 
sity be  killed  or  put  to  flight.  Then  I  collected  more 
rushes,  and  taking  a  suck  at  a  piece  of  dry  duck  for 
my  suppei,  threw  myself  at  length  on  them,  and 
tried  to  go  to  sleep.  It  was  no  easy  matter  to  do 
this,  as  I  could  not  lielp  remembering  that  I  was 
surrounded  by  venomous  creatures  and  wild  beasts 
of  all  sorts,  who  might  find  me  out   during  my 


An  Adventure  in  th-i  Far  West.  307 

slumbers  and  rouse  me  up  in  a  very  unpleasant 
way.  At  last,  however,  I  closed  my  eyes,  and  so 
tightly  did  they  remain  sealed  that  the  sun  had 
arisen  before  I  awoke.  I  started  up  and  looked 
around  me.  Neither  venomous  serpents  nor  wild 
beasts  were  near,  but  the  bodies  of  tlie  snakes  I  had 
killed  lying  about  showed  me  the  reality  of  what  had 
occurred.  I  started  to  my  feet,  and  a  few  shakes 
completed  my  toilet.  I  had  hoped  to  have  awoke 
before  daylight,  that  I  might  have  time  to  collect  the 
dew  from  the  branches  of  tlie  trees  and  from  the 
long  grass,  that  I  might  at  least  moisten  my  lips. 
I  felt  as  if  all  the  liquid  would  be  dried  up  before  it 
got  down  my  throat.  But,  alas !  when  I  looked 
round,  so  hot  was  the  sun,  and  so  dry  the  atmos- 
phere, that  scarcely  a  drop  could  I  find,  even  in 
ttie  shade,  sufficient  to  wet  my  tongue.  I,  however, 
plucked  some  cool  grass  and  chewed  it,  and  then 
continued  on  my  journey.  I  was  now  able  to  pro- 
ceed with  more  certainty  than  on  the  previous  day. 
As  I  walked  on,  my  glance  was  turned  on  every  side 
for  the  sort  of  vegetation  which  might  indicate  the 
vicinity  of  water.  Every  height  I  came  near  I 
ascended,  that  I  might  enjoy  a  wider  range  of  vision. 
I  was  all  this  time  suffering  dreadfully  from  my 
feet.  Sometimes  I  passed  over  a  wide  extent  of 
ground  covered  with  small  sharp  stones,  which 
speedily  wore  out  all  the  bandages  which  I  had 
fastened  round  my  feet.  That  was  bad  enough  ; 
but  soon  afterwards  I  came  to  a  tract  overgrowu 


808  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

with  stunted  prickly  pears,  or  cacti  as  they  are 
called.  It  was  very  much  as  if  the  ground  were 
planted  thickly  with  short  swords,  daggers,  dirks, 
and  penknives.  Walk  as  carefully  as  I  could,  my 
feet  and  legs  were  constantly  striking  against  them, 
and  from  my  shins  to  the  soles  of  my  feet  I  was  cov- 
ered with  wounds  and  blood.  My  jacket  was  soon 
used  up,  and  I  then  had  to  begin  on  the  lower  part 
of  the  legs  of  my  trowsers,  off  which  I  tore  shreds 
as  I  required  them.  At  last  I  sat  down  on  a  st^ne 
to  apply  fresh  bandages  to  ray  feet,  and  what  with 
the  heat,  and  thirst,  and  hunger,  and  weakness,  and 
sickness,  and  pain,  and  anxiety,  I  felt  more  inclined 
to  cry  than  I  had  ever  in  my  life  before ;  but  I  did 
not  cry.  I  was  too  much  dried  up  for  that,  I  sup- 
pose. My  next  impulse  was  to  throw  myself  down 
on  the  ground  and  give  up  the  struggle.  However, 
I  did  not  remain  long  in  that  mood.  It  is  the  worst 
mood  to  encourage.  I  had  always  belonged  to  the 
try  school.  "  No,  I  will  not  give  in,"  I  exclaimed 
suddenly  ;  "  I  will  trust  to  Providence  to  carry  me 
out  of  my  difficulties."  Still  I  was  so  weak,  and  I 
felt  so  helpless,  that  I  sat  and  sat  on  till  I  was  about 
to  fall  into  a  sort  of  lethargy,  from  which  I  might 
have  had  no  power  to  arouse  myself.  Suddenly, 
however,  my  ears  caught  the  well-known  and  justly- 
dreaded  sound  of  the  rattlesnake's  rattle.  I  sprang 
up  all  alive  in  a  moment,  and  saw  the  creature  half 
a  dozen  paces  from  me,  approaching  through  the 
grass.     A  blow  with  my  long  stick,  however,  soon 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  309 

stopped  his  rattle,  and,  remembering  how  much 
time  I  had  lost,  I  hurried  on.  I  bethought  me  aa 
I  did  so,  that  I  had  offered  but  an  ungrateful  return 
to  the  poor  snake  for  the  service  he  had  rendered 
me  ;  for  had  it  not  been  for  him,  I  might  never  have 
stirred  from  the  stone  on  which  I  was  sitting  till  I 
had  fallen  off  into  the  arms  of  death. 

I  now  walked  on  more  rapidly  than  before,  and 
in  about  an  hour  saw  before  me  a  more  thickly- 
wooded  country  than  I  had  yet  passed.  I  pressed 
forward  toward  it,  I  should  find  shade,  and  per- 
haps —  what  I  so  earnestly  wished  for  —  water. 
The  wood  was  extensive,  and  looked  gloomy  enough 
when  I  first  entered  it,  though  I  felt  the  shade  most 
grateful  after  the  glare  of  the  open  prairies.  The 
sun,  also,  found  its  way  sufficiently  through  the 
foliage,  only  now  bursting  forth  to  enable  me  to 
steer  my  course  as  before.  I  have  described  the 
silence  of  the  snow  mountains.  I  might  now  speak 
of  the  language  of  the  woods.  I  sat  down  to  adjust 
my  feet  coverings,  and  when  my  feet  ceased  to  tread 
on  the  grass  and  dead  leaves,  I  became  conscious 
that  I  was  surrounded  by  a  low  rustling  noise.  At 
first  I  thought  that  the  sound  was  caused  by  the 
wind  among  the  dry  leaves,  but  1  was  soon  convinced 
that  it  was  made  by  the  young  buds  breaking  forth 
from  the  cases  which  had  shielded  them  during  the 
cold  of  early  spring  —  that  I  hterally  heard  the 
trees  growing  !  I  did  not  rest  long,  for  I  was  afraid 
of  falling  into  my  former  state.     On  I  limped  — 


310         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

unable  to  help  uttering  every  how  and  then  a  com- 
plaining "  Oh  ! "  as  my  foot  trod  on  a  thorn  or 
knocked  against  a  stone.  I  grew  faint  and  more 
faint  —  "Water!  water!  water!"  I  ejaculated. 
How  dreadful  is  thirst !  "  I  cannot  stand  it  longer," 
I  cried  out ;  but  I  felt  it  would  be  suicide  to  stop  as 
long  as  I  could  move,  and  the  next  instant  a  low 
murmuring  rushing  sound  reached  my  ears.  I 
thought  it  was  fancy,  but  still  I  dragged  on  as  fast 
as  I  could  my  weary  steps.  The  noise  increased  — 
it  was  that  of  a  waterfall  —  I  was  certain  of  it.  I 
tried  to  hurry  on  my  feet,  and  scarcely  felt  the 
pricks  and  cuts  they  were  receiving.  I  caught  sight 
of  the  glittering  spray  through  an  opening  in  the 
woods.  I  fancied  that  I  felt  the  coolness  of  the  air 
passing  over  it.  On  I  went.  There  was  the  water 
rushing,  gurgling,  foaming  away ;  but  as  I  sprang 
on,  forgetting  my  weakness,  I  found  myself  on  the 
top  of  a  rock,  over  which  I  very  nearly  toppled  into 
the  sought-for  stream,  twenty  feet  or  more  below 
me.  I  looked  about  for  a  path  to  lead  me  down  to 
it.  I  saw,  a  little  way  higher  up  the  stream,  a  part 
of  the  bank  less  steep  than  the  rest.  I  ran  toward 
it.  I  slid  down  ;  but  what  was  my  dismay  to  find 
that  I  could  not  stop  myself,  and  into  the  water  I 
plunged,  with  my  rifle  and  powder-flask  at  my  back ! 
I  had  now  more  of  the  element  I  had  been  so  eagerly 
desiring  than  was  pleasant.  My  feet,  however, 
touched  the  bottom,  and  stooping  down,  I  let  the 
water  run  into  my  mouth  and  wash  my  dried-up 


An  Adventvre  in  the  Far  West.  311 

face.  Oh,  how  delicious  it  was !  It  revived  me  and 
restored  my  strength  ;  and  then  I  began  to  consider 
how  I  was  again  to  get  out  of  the  stream.  The  cur- 
rent was  so  strong  that  I  dared  not  let  go  the  bank, 
lest  I  should  be  carried  oft'  my  feet.  I  could  not 
hope  to  climb  up  that  down  which  I  had  come,  and 
those  on  each  side  were  still  steeper.  The  matter 
was  soon  settled  for  me,  for  suddenly  I  felt  mytself 
taken  off"  my  feet,  and  down  the  stream  I  drifted.  I 
kept  as  close  to  the  bank  as  I  could,  grasping  at  the 
rocks  as  I  passed,  and  endeavoring  to  climb  up  by 
them  out  of  the  water.  My  anxiety  was  to  ascertain 
whether  or  not  I  was  above  the  waterfall.  If  above 
it,  I  might  be  carried  down,  and  fall  into  the  very 
danger  I  had  before  escaped.  I  tried  to  make  out 
by  the  sound,  but  could  not  tell,  nor  could  I  see  the 
spray  which  I  had  before  observed.  Still  I  hoped 
that  I  was  below  it.  On  I  went,  drifting  down  the 
stream  just  as  I  have  seen  a  dog  carried  along  a 
river  when  he  is  trying  to  climb  up  on  a  steep  bank. 
Some  bushes  appeared.  I  caught  at  them  —  sev- 
eral broke  in  my  grasp.  I  caught  eagerly  at  others. 
My  strength  was  failing  me.  At  length  I  seized  one 
which  held.  Close  to  it  I  saw  that  there  was  a  rest- 
ing-place for  my  feet.  I  was  about  to  draw  myself 
out  of  the  water,  when,  on  looking  up,  what  should 
I  see  on  the  top  of  the  bank  but  a  huge  bear  gazing 
intently  down  on  me,  and  licking  his  jaws  as  if  in 
contemplation  of  a  pleasant  repast. 


812         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 


CHAPTER  XX. 

I  hot  at  the  bear  and  the  bear  looks  at  me.  —  /  climb  up  and  he  tne*  to ' 
catch  me,  btU  I  dodge  him  and  escape.  —  Proceed  on.  —  Find  a  h.)l- 
low  /alien  tree,  and  make  my  bed  in  the  interior.  —  Pleasant  sleep 
unpleasantly  disturbed.  —  My  friend  the  grizzly  again.  —  /  escape 
up  a  tree,  and  Bndn  occupies  my  bed.  —  We  try  each  other's  pa- 
tience. —  /  watch  for  an  (opportunity  of  escaping,  and  he  watches  to 
catch  me. 

The  bear  looked  very  fierce ;  but  I  felt  desper- 
ately desperate,  and  determined  not  to  be  com- 
pelled by  him  to  continue  my  voyage.  So,  grasping 
the  branch,  I  gradually  drew  myself  up  by  it  near- 
ly out  of  the  water.  I  got  one  knee  on  the  bank  ; 
the  bear  gave  a  growl ;  then  I  got  the  other  knee 
on  terra  firma  ;  the  bear  growled  again.  I  was  not 
to  be  intimidated.  I  had  never  let  go  my  pole.  I 
sprang  to  my  feet  and  stood  looking  up  at  the  mon- 
ster. He  growled  more  fiercely  than  ever,  as  if  to 
warn  me  that  I  was  intruding  on  his  domains. 
"  Growl  away,  old  Bruin,"  I  exclaimed,  "  I  do  not 
fear  you.  Stop  me  from  getting  to  the  top  of  the 
bank  you  shall  not."  I  flourished  my  stick  as  I 
spoke.  He  took  the  movement  as  a  challenge,  and 
began  to  descend.  The  top  was  not  nearly  so  steep 
as  the  place  on  which  I  stood.     The  bear  got  down 


An  Adventvre  in  the  Far  West.  313 

tolerably  well,  growling  as  he  advanced,  and  pick- 
ing his  way.  My  rifle  was  loaded,  but  I  had  every 
reason  to  doubt  that  it  would  go  off,  after  the  duck- 
ing it  had  got,  though  the  muzzle  had  not  got  un- 
der water.  I  flourished  ray  pole,  therefore,  at  the 
bear,  and  shouted  at  the  top  of  my  voice,  but  it  did 
^ot  stop  him.  Just  above  me  was  a  ledge.  I 
climbed  up  to  it,  and  there  waited  the  approach  of 
the  bear.  The  ground  above  was  very  steep  and 
slippery.  On  he  came,  faster  and  faster.  My 
shouts  had  enraged  him,  and  he  was  eager  to  have 
a  grab  at  me.  I  ran  up  a  little  way  higher,  and 
then  turned  as  if  I  would  spring  back  into  the 
water.  He  was  afraid  he  should  lose  me,  and  for- 
getting his  previous  caution,  he  sprang  on  to  catch 
me.  As  he  did  so  I  leaped  nimbly  on  one  side,  and 
he  toppled  over,  head  foremost,  souse  into  the 
water.  1  saw  him  struggling  away  to  regain  the 
bank  ;  I  did  not  stop  to  watch  him,  however,  but 
sprang  upwards  with  all  the  agility  I  could  exert, 
and  did  not  stop  till  I  had  reached  the  summit. 
Never  have  I  gone  through  so  many  adventures  for 
tlie  sake  of  a  mouthful  of  water ;  I  had  not  even, 
as  it  were,  had  enough,  so  I  determined  to  keep 
down  the  stream  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 

My  clothes  very  quickly  dried,  which  is  not  sur- 
prising, considering  that  1  had  on  only  the  rem- 
nants of  my  jacket,  a  shirt,  and  tlie  upper  part  of 
my  trowsers.    The  legs  were  bound  round  my  feet. 

27 


314        Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

The  water  had,  however,  so  much  revived  me  that 
I  began  to  feel  a  greater  sensation  of  hunger  than 
I  had  before  experienced.  I  had  but  one  piece  of 
my  dried  duck  left.  I  nibbled  a  bit  as  I  walked 
on,  keeping  the  remainder  for  supper.  On  what  I 
was  to  breakfast  was  a  question  which,  if  my  powder 
failed  me,  might  be  difficult  to  solve.  Sometimes  I 
lost  sight  of  the  water,  but  quickly  regained  it,  and 
ever  and  anon  returned,  where  the  bank  was  prac- 
ticable, to  take  a  refreshing  sip.  As  may  be  sup- 
posed, I  took  care  never  to  get  out  of  the  hearing 
of  its  pleasant  sound.  I  did  not  see  the  waterfall, 
and  therefore  concluded  that  I  must  have  fallen  in- 
to the  stream  a  short  way  below  it.  Night  was  now 
again  approaching.  I  looked  about  in  every  direc- 
tion for  a  spot  in  which  I  might  pass  it.  At  last  I 
came  upon  a  huge  pine  tree,  which  had  been  struck 
by  lightning  and  lay  prostrate  on  the  ground.  The 
centre  part  of  the  trunk  was  hollowed  out  some- 
thing like  a  dug-out  canoe,  and  on  examining  it  I 
bethought  me  that  it  would  make  a  peculiarly  com- 
fortable abode  for  the  night.  I  therefore  set  to 
work  to  clear  out  all  the  rubbish  inside  whicli 
might  conceal  any  creatures,  and  I  then  collected 
some  large  sheets  of  birch  bark  which  lay  stripped 
off  some  neighboring  trees.  This  I  placed  over 
the  top  to  form  a  roof,  and  a  very  comfortable  sort 
of  abode  I  considered  that  I  had  made.  It  was  a 
safe  one  also,  I  thought,  for  no  snake  was  likely  to 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  315 

climb  into  it,  nor  was  it  probable  that  any  wild  an- 
imal would  find  me  out.  I  now  ate  mj  last  piece 
of  meat,  and  then  went  down  to  the  river  and  took 
a  hearty  draught  of  water,  and  felt  far  more  invig- 
orated than  I  had  been  for  a  long  time.  This  done, 
I  returned  to  my  hollow  tree,  crept  in,  drew  the 
sheets  of  birch  bark  over  me,  and  went  comfortably 
to  sleep.  Oh,  how  1  did  enjoy  that  sleep !  I  felt 
so  much  more  secure  than  I  had  ever  been  at  night 
since  I  commenced  my  wanderings.  I  awoke  in 
the  middle  of  the  night,  but  it  was  to  turn  myself 
round  and  to  think  how  comfortable  I  was.  I  had, 
however,  some  causes  for  anxiety.  How  should  I 
protect  myself, if  attacked  either  by  savages  or  wild 
beasts  ?  how  should  I  procure  food,  and  how  should 
I  defend  my  feet  when  all  my  bandages  were  worn 
out,  should  I  not  succeed  in  finding  my  friends  ? 
The  most  pressing  matter  was  how  to  procure  food. 
Suddenly  I  recollected  that  I  had  once  put  a 
couple  of  fish-hooks  in  a  pocket-book  which  I  car- 
ried with  me.  I  could  not  sleep  till  I  had  pulled 
it  out  and  ascertained  that  they  were  there.  A  rod 
I  should  have  no  difficulty  in  forming  ;  but  how  to 
make  a  hue  was  the  puzzle.  At  last  1  remembered 
that  my  jacket  was  sewn  together  with  very  coarse 
strong  thread,  and  I  thought  that  I  could  manufac- 
ture a  line  out  of  it.  Having  come  to  this  satis- 
factory conclusion,  I  again  went  to  sleep. 
I  had  but  a  short  time  closed  my  eyes  when  once 


310  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins: 

more  1  was  awoke  by  a  noise,  as  if  something  was 
scratching  on  the  outside  of  the  tree  in  which  I 
lay.  What  conld  it  be  ?  The  scratching  continued, 
and  then  there  was  a  snuffling  sound,  as  if  a  snout 
was  smelling  about  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
noises  were  suspicious  and  somewhat  alarming.  I 
did  not  like  to  move  to  ascertain  what  caused  them, 
but  I  could  not  help  dreading  that  they  were  made 
by  some  wandering  bear  who  had  smelt  me  out, 
and  was  now  trying  to  get  a  nearer  inspection  of 
me.  The  scratching  and  the  snuffling  continued, 
and  then  I  was  certain  that  the  creature,  whatever 
it  was,  was  climbing  up  on  the  trunk.  It  had 
done  so,  but  it  tumbled  ofif  again.  Soon,  however, 
it  came  close  up  to  me.  I  could  contain  myself  no 
longer.  1  wished  to  ascertain  the  worst.  I  gently 
slid  off  the  piece  of  bark  above  my  head  and  sat 
upright.  I  speedily,  though,  popped  down  again. 
My  worst  suspicions  were  confirmed.  It  was  a 
bear,  and  very  likely  the  same  bear  from  whom  I 
had  escaped  the  day  before.  The  moment  he  saw 
me  he  poked  his  snout  over  my  narrow  bed-place, 
but  I  was  too  far  down  for  him  to  get  at  me,  not- 
withstanding all  the  efforts  he  made  to  effect  that 
object.  Still  it  was  not  pleasant  to  have  such  a 
watcher  over  my  couch,  as  I  could  not  help  dread- 
ing that  he  might  possibly  get  his  claws  in  and  pull 
me  out,  and  that  at  all  events  the  moment  I  sat 
upright  he  would  give  me  an  embrace,  but  any 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  317 

thing  but  a  friendly  one.  The  moon  came  out  and 
shone  on  his  bearish  eyes,  and  I  saw  him  hcking 
his  jaws  in  anticipation  of  his  expected  repast.  The 
very  way  he  did  this  convinced  me  that  he  was  ray 
friend  of  yesterday. 

I  had  outwitted  him  once,  and  I  determined  to 
try  and  outwit  him  again.  I  saw  that  near  me  was 
a  tree  with  short  branches,  reaching  close  down  to 
the  ground.  I  thought  that  if  I  could  climb  up  it, 
I  might  get  out  of  the  reach  of  my  persecutor. 
Mustering  all  my  strength,  I  suddenly  started  up, 
shrieking  out  at  the  top  of  my  voice,  and  flourishing 
my  stick,  which  I  brought  down  with  all  my  force 
on  the  bear's  head.  Bruin  so  little  expected  the 
assault  that,  without  attempting  to  attack  me,  he 
turned  round  and  trotted  off  to  the  distance  of  forty 
yards  or  so,  when  he  stopped  and  looked  very  in- 
tently at  me.  I  seized  the  moment  of  my  emanci- 
pation to  climb  up  the  tree  near  me.  The  bear,  the 
instant  he  saw  me  take  to  flight,  uttering  a  deep 
growl,  sprang  eagerly  back  to  the  foot  of  the  tree ; 
but  I  was  beyond  his  reach.  What,  therefore,  was 
my  dismay  to  see  him  put  his  huge  arms  and  legs 
round  the  trunk  and  begin  to  ascend.  Up  he  came, 
and  as  he  advanced,  I  ascended  higher  and  higher. 
Every  now  and  then  he  looked  up  at  me,  and  per- 
formed the  to  me  unpleasant  ceremony  of  licking 
his  jaws.  He  was  a  cautious  brute,  for,  as  he  got 
higher,  he  felt  the  boughs  and  shook  them,  to  ascer 

27* 


818  THck  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

tain  if  he  could  trust  his  weight  on  them.  I  at  last 
was  obliged  to  retreat  along  a  wide  extending  bough, 
from  which  I  could  just  reach  my  enemy's  head  as 
he  came  near  me.  I  shouted  and  banged  away  with 
all  my  might,  which  so  much  annoyed  him  that  he 
gave  up  the  chase.  The  moment  I  saw  him  hesitate 
I  redoubled  my  blows,  and  at  last,  infinitely  to  my 
satisfaction,  not  liking  the  treatment  he  was  receiv- 
ing, he  began  slowly  to  descend  the  way  he  had  come 
up.  I  shouted  and  poked  at  him,  but  nothing  would 
hurry  him.  At  last  he  reached  the  bottom,  but 
instead  of  going  away,  he  sat  himself  down  to  watch 
me.  Then  we  were  just  like  the  fox  and  the  crow 
in  the  fable.  I  the  crow,  and  he  the  fox,  only  he 
wanted  to  get  me  instead  of  the  cheese.  I  sat  on 
my  bough  flourishing  my  stick  at  him,  and  at  last 
he  grew  tired  of  watching  me ;  but  he  did  not  go 
away  —  not  he.  My  astonishment  was  not  small  to 
see  him  crawl  into  the  bed-place  I  had  left,  and 
quietly  roll  himself  up  and  go  to  sleep.  He  must 
have  slept,  however,  with  one  eye  open,  for  whenever 
I  commenced  descending  from  my  bough,  he  popped 
up  his  head  as  much  as  to  say,  "  You  had  better 
not,  or  I'll  be  after  you,"  and  then  down  he  laid 
again.  As  I  could  not  have  made  much  progress 
in  the  uncertain  light  of  the  moon,  I  climbed  into  a 
forked  branch  of  the  tree,  and  tying  my  arm  to  a 
bough  that  I  might  not  tumble  off,  I  tried  to  get  a 
little  more  sleep.  It  was  not  very  sound,  for  the  recol- 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  319 

lection  that  the  bear  might  possibly  take  il  into  his 
liead  to  pay  me  a  visit  kept  me  wakeful.  I  felt  cer- 
tain that  the  rascal  must  have  known  that  my  pow- 
der was  wet,  or  he  would  not  have  been  so  impudent. 
Once  or  twice  I  thought  that  I  would  try  and  make 
axy  rifle  go  off,  and  I  withdrew  the  charge  of  small 
(shot,  and  put  a  bullet  in  instead.  At  last  I  took 
aim  and  pulled  the  trigger,  but  no  report  followed. 
I  was  thankful  that  I  had  not  had  to  depend  on 
my  weapon  for  my  life.  Bruin  just  lifted  up  his 
head  when  he  heard  the  snap,  but  seeing  that  I  was 
safe,  laid  down  again,  and  began  either  to  snore,  or 
to  pretend  to  snore,  for  the  cunning  rogue  was  up 
to  any  trick,  I  was  certain  of  that,  to  deceive  me. 
For  half  an  hour  or  more  after  this  I  lay  quiet,  and 
1  had  great  hopes  that  Bruin  had  really  gone  to 
sleep.  The  country  to  the  west  along  the  banks  of 
the  stream  appeared,  as  far  as  I  could  see  with  the 
moonlight,  pretty  clear.  I  thought  that  I  might 
make  some  good  distance  before  the  bear  awoke. 
Down  I  crept  very  cautiously,  for  fear  of  making 
the  slightest  noise,  from  my  lofty  perch.  I  had  got 
to  one  of  the  lower  forks  of  the  tree,  and  was  con- 
sidering whether  I  could  not  drop  without  much 
noise  to  the  ground,  from  a  branch  which  projected 
below  me,  when  a  low  growl  proceeded  from  my 
recent  bed-place,  and  the  ogre  lifted  up  his  head 
with  one  eye  still  shut,  but  with  the  other  turned 
toward  me  in  the  most  malicious  manner,  —  at  least, 


320  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

so  I  thought.  I  cannot  quite  vouch  for  this  last 
fact ;  but  that  was  my  impression  at  the  time.  I 
was  in  a  most  uncomfortable  position,  so  tliat  I  had 
to  move  one  way  or  the  other.  I  began  by  moving 
downward,  and  lie  then  rose  more,  and  gave  another 
growl.  I  then  climbed  up  again,  and  as  I  ascended 
higher  and  higher,  he  gradually  lay  back  till  his 
head  was  concealed  inside  the  hollow  of  the  tree. 
Still,  when  I  leaned  forward,  I  could  see  his  snout 
sticking  up,  and  could  just  catch  tlie  twinkle  of  his 
wicked  eye  turned  toward  me  —  I  mean  the  eye 
which,  awake  or  asleep,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  he 
always  kept  open.  Under  the  circumstances,  it  is 
not  surprising  that  I  did  not  sleep  very  soundly, 
still  I  did  go  to  sleep,  with  my  arms  twined  tightly 
round  two  neighboring  boughs.  I  longed  for  day- 
light, which  might  enable  me  to  take  some  active 
measures  one  way  or  the  other.  At  last,  as  I  looked 
out  beyond  the  tops  of  the  neighboring  trees,  I  could 
see  a  pale  pink  and  yellow  hue  suffusing  the  eastern 
sky,  and  the  light  crept  forward,  as  it  were,  on  one 
side,  while  the  forest  on  the  other  remained  shrouded 
in  darkness.  Not  as  in  our  own  land,  however,  did 
the  birds  welcome  tlie  coming  sun  with  a  full  chorus 
of  song.  They  were  not  altogether  silent ;  but  even 
in  that  spring  time  of  the  year,  they  only  exhibited 
their  pleasure  by  a  faint  untuneful  twittering  and 
chirping.  Bruin  was,  I  found,  an  early  riser.  I 
saw  first  one  leg  come  out  of  his  bed-place,  then 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  321 

another,  as  lie  stretched  them  forth ;  then  up  went 
his  arms,  and  I  heard  a  loud  yawn.  It  was  rather 
more  like  a  grunt.  Then  he  began  to  growl,  and  to 
make  all  sorts  of  other  stiange  noises,  and  finally  he 
lifted  up  his  head  and  gradually  sat  upright  on  his 
haunches.  He  winked  at  me  when  he  saw  that  I 
was  safe  up  the  tree,  and  I  fancied  that  he  nodded 
his  head,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  Stay  a  bit,  I'll  soon 
be  up  to  you."  Then  he  turned  one  leg  out  of  the 
bed-place  and  then  another,  and  then  he  walked  up 
to  the  tree  and  sat  h'.mself  down  under  it,  and 
began  to  growl. 


822        Dick  Onshw  a»ul  l/w  Red  Skins : 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

f  eakatut  Bruin's  patience.  —  Manufacture  some  Jishing-Unes,  and  de* 
scend  from  my  perch,  in  the  tree.  —  Catch  a  biff  Jish  to  my  great 

joy,  with  no  little  trouble,  and  cook  it.  —  Many  a  slip  between  tlie 
spit  and  the  lip. — My  Jish  is  adirurably  dressed,  but  disappears 
though  not  down  my  throat.  —  I  set  to  uxn-k  again  and  catch  more 

Jish.  —  Continue  my  journey ;  am  almost  staixed.  —  Afy  ammunition 
exhausted.  —  See  some  horses.  —  Fall  in  with  some  Indians.  —  They 
prove  to  be  friends.  —  Accompany  me  on  my  journey,  and  conduct  me 
to  the  camp  of  the  Raggets.  —  We  reach  California,  where  J  ter-ni- 
tuUe  the  adventures  which  I  now  give  to  Oie  public. 

I  DO  not  mind  confessing  that  I  felt  any  thing 
but  happy  perched  up  at  the  top  of  a  tree  in  that 
wild  American  forest,  with  a  hungry  and  cunning 
bear  growling  away  for  his  breakfast  below  me.  I 
too  was  beginning  to  feel  faint  for  want  of  food. 
The  bear  seemed  to  know  that,  and  to  have  hopes 
of  starving  me  into  submission.  On  that  point, 
nowever,  I  determined  to  disappoint  him.  Sooner 
than  go  down  and  be  eaten  I  resolved  to  die  up  in 
the  tree,  and  then  he  would  get  nothing  but  my  dry 
bones  for  his  pains.  I  tried  his  patience  I  saw,  for 
he  growled  and  growled  louder  and  more  fiercely, 
and  then  began  to  lick  his  paws,  as  a  baby  does  its 
fingers  to  amuse  itself  wlien  hungry.  Two  or  three 
times  he  began  to  climb  up  the  tree ;  but  the  way 
in  which  I  flourished  the  pole  in  his  face,  and  his 
recollection  that  he  couid  not  reach  me  at  the  end 
of  the  branch  to  which  I  retired,  made  him  speedi- 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  323 

ly  again  descend.  The  sun  was  now  up  and  warm, 
and  it  struck  me  that  if  I  could  dry  some  of  my 
powder  I  might  turn  the  tables  on  him,  and  eat 
him  instead  of  his  eating  me.  I  therefore  cleared 
out  a  hollow  in  a  branch,  into  which  1  poured  a 
charge  of  powder,  and  then  cleaned  my  rifle  and 
picked  out  the  touch-hole.  I  was  determined  not 
to  be  idle,  and  so,  remembering  my  fish-hooks,  I 
set  to  work  to  manufacture  a  line.  The  threads 
were  short,  but  I  knotted  them  neatly.  I  tried  the 
strength  of  each  one  separately,  and  those  which 
broke  I  strengthened  with  line,  which  I  twisted  up. 
I  thus  sat  knotting  and  spinning,  with  as  much  cool- 
ness as  I  could  command,  till  I  had  finished  my 
line,  and  thought  my  powder  was  dry.  I  then  put 
up  my  line,  carefully  loaded  my  rifle,  and  mut- 
tered, "  Now,  Master  Bruin,  look  out  for  yourself." 
Whether  he  divined  what  I  was  about,  or  had 
grown  tired  of  waiting  for  liis  breakfast  and  was 
going  elsewhere  in  search  of  it,  I  cannot  say,  but 
before  I  could  find  a  satisfactory  rest  for  my  piece 
so  as  to  point  it  down  at  him,  he  tuned  round 
and  began  trotting  briskly  away.  I  instantly  fired, 
in  the  hopes  of  obtaining  some  bear's  steaks  for 
my  breakfast.  The  rifle  went  off",  nearly  knocking 
me  over  from  my  bough,  and  the  ball  hit  him, 
but  not  in  a  vital  part,  for  on  he  went,  growling 
furiously,  till  lie  was  lost  to  siglit  in  the  depths 
of  the  forest,  and  I  must  say  that  I  heartily  hoped 
I  might  never  see  his  ugly  face  again.     I  suspect 


324         Dick  Onsloic  and  the  Red  Skins : 

that  I  considerably  damped  his  appetite  for  break- 
fast. As  mine  was  sharper  than  ever,  and  I  could 
not  make  it  off  bear,  I  descended  from  my  perch 
that  I  might  try  and  catch  some  fish.  I  quickly 
cut  a  lishing-rod,  and  a  piece  of  light  bark  to  serve 
as  a  float,  and  my  movements  being  hastened  by 
hunger,  in  a  few  minutes,  having  caught  some 
creatures  on  the  bank  to  serve  as  bait,  I  was  bend- 
ing over  the  stream  as  assiduously  as  old  Izaak 
"Walton  himself. 

What  was  my  delight  in  a  few  minutes  to  feel  a 
bite  !  I  was  an  expert  fisherman,  but  so  great  was 
my  agitation  that  I  could  scarcely  give  the  neces- 
sary jei-k  to  hook  my  fish.  It  is  very  different 
fisliing  for  pleasure  and  fishing  for  the  pot  or  spit 
when  starving.  Away  went  the  float  bobbing  down 
the  stream.  It  must  be  done.  I  jerked  up  my 
rod.  How  breathless  I  felt !  The  fish  was  hooked, 
of  that  I  was  sure,  as  also  that  he  was  a  good-sized 
fellow.  Down  the  stream  swam  the  fish,  and  along 
the  bank  I  followed  him.  I  knew  that  my  tackle 
was  not  over  strong,  and  I  was  anxious  to  secure 
a  good  place  for  landing  him.  At  last  I  reached  a 
flat  rock.  "  Now  I  will  have  him,"  I  said  to  myself, 
and  I  drew  his  nose  up  the  stream.  I  got  sight  of 
him  through  the  clear  water.  He  was  a  trout, 
three  or  four  pounds'  weight  at  least.  What  a 
hearty  breakfast  I  would  make  of  him  !  I  felt 
very  nervous,  because,  a^  there  was  very  little  bend 
in  my  rod,  if  he  gave  a  sudden  jerk  he  would  too 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  326 

probably  snap  tlie  line  or  the  hook,  and  be  out  of  my 
sight  for  ever.  The  water  was  somewhat  deep  below 
me,  or  I  should  have  pushed  into  the  stream  and 
clutched  him  in  my  arms,  much  in  the  same  way 
as  the  bear  would  have  clutched  me,  if  he  could, 
and  with  the  same  object.  Slowly  and  cautiously 
I  drew  him  nearer  and  nearer  the  shore.  He  came 
along  pretty  quietly.  He  was  pretty  well  exhaust- 
ed with  his  previous  swim.  Had  I  possessed  a 
landing-net  I  could  have  had  him  ashore  in  a  mo- 
ment ;  but  I  trembled  when  I  thought  of  the  little 
pliability  there  was  at  the  end  of  my  stick  to  coun- 
teract any  sudden  jerk  he  might  give.  There  ho 
was,  scarcely  six  feet  from  me,  and  yet  I  could  not 
reach  him.  I  drew  him  still  closer,  kneeling  down 
as  I  did  so,  and  then  lowering  my  rod  I  made  a 
dart  at  him.  He  was  quicker  than  I  was,  and  with 
a  whisk  of  his  tail  off  he  darted,  with  the  hook 
still  in  his  mouth,  dragging  the  rod  after  him.  I 
made  a  dash  at  the  rod,  but  missed  it,  and  away  it 
floated  down  the  stream.  After  it  I  went  though, 
watching  it  as  it  bobbed  up  and  down,  and  dread- 
ing lest  it  should  catch  fast  among  some  stones, 
and  the  fish  break  away.  The  stream  was  here 
narrow,  deep,  and  rapid.  Lower  down  it  was 
broader,  and  I  hoped  might  be  shallow.  I  ran  on, 
tberefore,  and  found  it  as  I  had  hoped.  Down 
came  the  rod  toward  me.  "  Was  the  fish  on  to  it, 
though  ?  "     I  seized  hold  of  the  butt-end  and  lifted 

28 


826  Dick  Omlow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

it  lip.  Yes,  there  he  was.  He  could  scarcely  escape 
me  now.  Slowly  I  drew  him  up  toward  me,  and 
slipping  my  fingers  down  the  line,  eagerly  seized 
him  by  the  gills.  I  had  him  fast,  and  was  not  like- 
ly to  let  him  go.  I  carried  him  on  shore,  and 
throwing  him  on  the  ground  speedily,  began  to  col- 
lect sticks  to  make  a  fire.  Those  near  at  hand 
would  not  burn,  so  I  went  further  away  from  the 
stream  to  collect  some  more. 

While  thus  engaged,  I  saw  a  lynx  steal  out  of  the 
forest  and  go  in  the  direction  of  my  proposed  fire. 
I  had  collected  as  many  sticks  as  I  could  carry,  and 
was  returning  as  faM,  as  I  could,  when  I  saw  the 
lynx  go  close  up  to  where  I  had  left  my  fish.  It 
stooped  down  and  then  trotted  on.  I  rushed  on,  as 
fast  as  my  legs  could  carry  me,  till  I  reached  the 
spot.  My  fish  was  gone.  I  shrieked  and  sliouted 
after  the  lynx,  whirling  my  stick  at  him,  but  it  was 
to  no  purpose.  He  had  found  a  good  breakfast,  and 
was  not  going  to  give  it  up  in  a  hurry.  I  shouted 
and  shrieked,  and  ran  and  ran,  till  at  length  I 
knocked  my  foot  against  the  sharp  end  of  a  broken 
branch  which  brought  me  crying  out  with  pain  to 
the  ground.  The  lynx,  holding  the  fish  in  his  jaws, 
turned  a  look  of  derision  at  me,  as  he  disappeared 
in  the  forest.  Did  I  lie  there  and  howl  like  a 
wounded  dog  ?  No  ;  I  should  be  ashamed  to  ac- 
knowledge it,  had  I  done  so.  Instead  of  that,  as 
soon  as  the  pain  would  allow  me,  I  got  up  on  my 
feet,  hobbled   back    to  wliere  I  had  left  my  rod, 


'.n  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  327 

searched  for  some  fresh  bait,  and  set  to  work  to 
catch  another  fish.  Not  a  minute  had  passed  before 
I  got  a  bite.  I  quickly  hooked  my  fish,  and  hauled 
up  one  of  about  half  a  pound  weight.  As  that 
would  not  be  sufficient  for  my  breakfast,  I  thought 
it  would  be  wise  to  restrain  my  appetite  till  I  had 
caught  some  more,  as  possibly  when  the  sun  rose 
higher  they  might  not  bite  so  readily.  Not  half  a 
minute  passed  before  I  caught  a  second,  and  in  five 
minutes,  with  very  little  difficulty,  I  had  caught  as 
many  fish  as  would  equal  the  weight  of  the  one  I 
had  lost.  This  time  I  took  care  to  keep  them  about 
me  till  I  had  lighted  my  fire,  and  stuck  them  on 
sticks  roasting  round  it.  1  kept,  too,  vigilant  watch 
lest  my  old  enemy,  Bruin,  or  the  watchful  lynx, 
should  return  to  rob  me  of  my  repast.  One  of  the 
fish  was  soon  sufficiently  warmed  to  enable  me  to 
eat  it,  and  one  after  the  other  disappeared,  giving 
me  a  satisfaction  which  the  most  highly-seasoned 
feast  has  never  been  able  to  afford.  I  waf^hcd  the 
fish  down  with  a  copious  draught  of  water,  and 
then  felt  myself  ready  for  any  thing.  This  part  of 
the  river  was  evidently  well  supplied  with  fish,  so 
before  leaving  it  I  again  took  my  rod  in  hand,  and 
in  half  an  hour  caught  enough  fish  to  last  me  for  a 
couple  of  days.  I  had  lost  my  hat  in  the  river,  so 
I  now  made  myself  a  curious  conical-shaped  head- 
covering  with  some  rushes  and  long  grass,  and  what 
with  my  bare  legs,  my  feet  swathed  in  bandages, 
and  my  sleeveless  jacket,  I  must  have  had  a  very 


328  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

Robinson  Crusoe  appearance.    As  there  was  no  one 
to  see  me  this  was  of  no  consequence. 

I  now  shouldered  my  pole  and  fishing-rod,  and 
with  ray  rifle  slung  at  my  back,  continued  my 
course.  I  kept  down  the  stream  for  some  way ;  but 
as  I  had  not  passed  the  tracks  which  my  friends 
must  have  left,  I  felt  convinced  that  they  were  to 
the  north  of  the  line  on  which  I  had  been  travelling. 
I  therefore  crossed  the  stream  by  a  ford,  at  which  I 
arrived  in  the  afternoon,  and  with  much  regret  left 
its  pure  waters  to  wander  into  what  might  prove  an 
arid  desert.  I  had,  unfortunately,  nothing  in  which 
I  could  carry  water,  so  that  I  had  to  depend  on  the 
supply  which  I  might  find  in  my  path.  I  pushed 
on  as  fast  as  I  could.  It  was  almost  night,  however, 
before  I  reached  a  pool  of  water.  It  was  stagnant, 
and  so  bad  tasted  that  I  could  only  moisteu  my  lips 
with  it,  after  I  had  cooked  and  eaten  one  of  my 
fish.  A  number  of  birch  trees  were  growing  near. 
I  quickly  built  a  shanty  with  their  bark,  and  with 
the  same  material  formed  myself  a  mattress  and  an 
ample  covering  for  my  body.  After  my  long  vigil 
on  the  previous  night  I  speedily  fell  asleep,  but  even 
in  my  slumbers  I  heard  the  occasional  serenades  of 
bear?  and  wolves,  who  seemed  to  be  the  principal 
inhabitants  of  that  wild  region.  I  awoke  more  than 
once,  and  was  convinced  that  the  noise  was  a  reality, 
and  not  the  fancy  of  my  brain  ;  but  I  felt  that  un- 
less they  had  come  and  routed  me  out,  as  the  bear 
had  on  the  previous  night,  nothing  would  have  in- 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  329 

duced  Die  to  stir.  Off  I  went  to  sleep ;  but  much 
to  my  satisfaction  day  returned  without  any  of  them 
having  found  me  out.  I  need  not  record  the  ad- 
ventures of  each  day.  I  suffered  so  much  from  my 
feet  that  my  progress  was  of  necessity  slow.  My 
fish  were  gone,  I  had  found  no  other  friendly  stream ; 
but  I  hoped  to  come  across  one  before  long.  I  had 
dried  the  remnant  of  my  powder.  I  had  enough 
for  one  full  charge  and  a  little  over.  I  loaded  my 
rifle,  still  wishing,  if  possible,  to  keep  it  for  my  de- 
fence. This  was  early  one  morning.  I  had  had 
no  breakfast.  As  the  day  advanced  I  £;rew  very 
hungry.  A  small  animal,  like  a  hare  or  rabbit, 
came  near  me.  I  seized  a  stone  at  my  foot  and  hit 
the  creature  on  the  leg,  and  broke  it.  Away  it 
went  limping,  still  at  a  rapid  pace.  I  made  chase 
as  fast  as  my  sore  feet  would  let  me.  I  was  gain- 
ing on  the  creature ;  but  was  afraid  that,  after  all, 
it  might  get  into  some  hole  and  escape  me.  This 
made  me  exert  myself  still  more,  when  I  caught 
sight  of  a  burrow  ahead,  for  which  I  suspected  it 
was  making.  I  sprang  on,  hunger  giving  an  impe- 
tus to  my  feet,  and  not  a  yard  from  the  spot  I  tlirew 
myself  forward  and  caught  it,  as  it  was  about  to 
spring  into  the  hole.  The  poor  creature  turned  an 
imploring  look  at  me ;'  but  like  a  savage,  as  I  felt,  I 
speedily  squeezed  the  life  out  of  it,  and  in  another 
ten  minutes  I  had  it  skinned  and  roasting  away 
before  a  fire  of  sticks,  which  I  had  in  the  mean  time 

28* 


330  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

collected.  I  felt,  as  1  ate  the  creature,  what  reason 
I  had  to  trust  in  the  care  of  Providence,  for  each 
time,  when  most  in  want,  I  had  been  amply  supplied 
with  food,  and  I  doubt  not  that,  had  1  possessed 
some  botanical  knowledge,  I  should  have  found  a 
still  larger  store  of  provisions  in  the  productions  of 
the  earth.  The  creature  was  rather  lean,  so  that 
the  best  half  of  him  only  served  me  for  a  meal,  and 
I  finished  tlie  remainder  at  night. 

The  next  day  I  was  less  fortunate.  Toward  the 
evening,  as  I  was  proceeding  along  an  elevated  ridge, 
I  saw  in  the  valley  below  me  a  black  spot,  as  if  a  fire 
had  been  there.  I  hurried  down  to  the  place  ;  I  was 
not  mistaken.  There  were  the  charred  embers  of 
sticks,  and  round  it  were  scattered  the  half-picked 
bones  of  grouse,  partridges,  and  ducks,  as  if  a  numer- 
ous party  had  camped  there.  I  looked  about,  but 
could  find  nothing  to  indicate  that  they  were  my 
friends.  Hunger  made  me  do  what  I  should  not 
otherwise  have  fancied.  I  collected  all  the  bones, 
and  with  a  pile  of  sticks,  left  by  my  predecessors  on 
the  spot,  1  made  a  fire,  at  which  I  speedily  cooked 
them.  As  there  was  plenty  of  birch  bark  about,  I 
tlien  built  a  wigwam  and  formed  a  comfortable  couch 
within  it,  in  which  I  might  pass  the  night.  These 
bones  were  all  the  food  I  got  that  day.  Several  deer 
had  on  the  previous  day  come  skipping  around  me, 
fearless  of  the  approach  of  man.  The  next  day  again 
hunger  assailed  me.  I  had  been  wishing  that  some 
more  deer  would  come,  when  a  herd  came  racing  by, 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  331 

and  when  they  saw  me  they  all  stopped,  staring  at 
me,  as  if  to  ask  why  I  had  come  there.  The  pangs 
of  hunger  just  then  made  me  very  uncomfortable. 
Here  was  an  opportunity  of  supplying  myself  with 
food  for  a  week  to  come.  A  fat  buck  stood  in  the 
centre ;  I  fired.  The  whole  lierd  were  in  full  flight, 
but  the  buck  was  wounded,  I  saw  by  the  drops  of 
blood  whicli  marked  his  track  ;  I  hurried  after  liim. 
What  was  my  delight  to  see  him  stop,  then  stagger 
and  fall!  I  ran  on.  He  rose  and  sprang  forward, 
but  it  was  a  last  effort,  and  the  next  moment  he 
rolled  over  on  the  ground.  I  could  have  shouted 
for  joy.  I  had  now  got  food  in  abundance,  and,  what 
was  of  great  consequence  to  my  ultimate  preserva- 
tion, the  means  of  covering  my  feet.  I  finished  the 
poor  animal  with  a  blow  of  my  hatchet,  and  then  set 
to  work  to  skin  him  and  cut  him  up.  I  had  one 
drawback  to  my  satisfaction.  There  was  no  wood 
or  water  near.  I  therefore  cut  off"  as  much  of  the 
hide  as  would  serve  me  for  mocassins  and  leggings, 
loaded  myself  with  all  the  flesh  I  could  carry,  and 
struck  away  toward  the  west.  I  had  been  unable 
to  follow  up  the  tracks  which  led  from  my  last  sleej)- 
ing-place,  and  this  convinced  me  that  the  camp  had 
been  formed  by  Indians.  Whether  they  would 
prove  friends  or  foes,  should  I  fall  in  with  them,  was 
a  question.  At  all  events,  1  felt  rather  an  inclina- 
tion to  avoid  than  to  find  them  out.  At  length  I 
came  to  a  wood,  through  which  ran  a  stream  of  pure 
water.    Sticks  were  quickly  collected,  a  fire  was  lit, 


332         Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins  : 

and  some  of  my  deer  was  roasting  away.  While  it 
was  cooking,  I  ran  down  to  the  stream  to  take  a 
draught  of  water  and  to  wash  my  feet,  and  then 
hurried  hack  to  enjoy  my  repast.  I  did  enjoy  it , 
and  as  there  were  still  two  hours  more  of  daylight 
and  I  felt  my  strength  increased,  I  hurried  onward. 
Scarcely  had  1  got  again  into  the  open  country 
than  I  came  on  some  recent  tracks  of  horses.  Could 
my  friends  be  ahead  ?  There  were  no  wheel-tracks, 
though.  A  beaten  track  appeared.  It  must  lead 
somewhere.  I  had  not  gone  half  a  mile  when  I 
fancied  that  I  heard  the  neighing  of  a  horse.  My 
heart  thumped  away  in  my  breast.  I  listened  with 
breathless  attention.  Again  a  horse  neighed  loudly. 
I  could  not  be  mistaken,  and  hurrying  on  I  saw 
across  a  rapid  stream,  which  passed  at  the  base  of 
the  hill  on  which  I  found  myself,  a  whole  herd  of 
those  noble  animals  frisking  about  in  a  wide  rich 
meadow  spread  out  before  me.  I  hurried  down  the 
hill,  and  by  the  aid  of  my  pole,  though  not  without 
difficulty,  hurried  across  the  stream.  One  of  the 
horses  as  soon  as  I  landed  came  trotting  up  to  me  ; 
but  seeing  that  I  was  a  stranger,  and  rather  an  odd- 
looking  one  too,  off  he  went  again.  I  thought  how 
satisfactory  it  would  be  if  I  could  catch  one  of  them 
to  make  it  carry  me  the  rest  of  the  journey.  I 
remembered,  however,  that  the  animals  must  belong 
to  some  one.  Perhaps,  however,  the  owner  might 
lend  one  to  me.  Crossing  the  meadow,  I  saw  before 
me  a  wreath  of  smoke  gracefully  curling  up  among 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  333 

the  trees.  It  must  proceed  from  some  human  habita- 
tion. Was  it  from  the  hut  of  a  white  man  or  from 
the  temporary  encampment  of  Indians  ?  If  the  lat- 
ter, would  they  prove  friends  or  foes  ?  Knowing 
the  necessity  for  precaution,  I  liid  myself  behind 
every  bush  and  tree,  till  I  got  into  the  wood,  and 
then  I  advanced  with  equal  care,  looking  out  ahead 
before  I  left  my  shelter,  and  stooping  down  in  Indian 
fashion,  trailing  my  rifle  and  stick  after  me  as  I 
made  my  onward  way. 

I  soon  came  to  an  open  glade,  in  one  corner  of 
which  appeared  a  skin-covered  wigwam,  before  the 
entrance  to  which  sat  two  squaws  busily  engaged  in 
some  culinary  occupation.  If  found  looking  about, 
I  might  naturally  have  been  suspected  of  treacher- 
ous intentions  ;  so  slinging  my  rifle,  and  grasping 
my  pole  and  fishing-rod  in  one  hand,  I  advanced, 
holding  out  the  other.  The  old  woman  looked  up, 
and  uttered  a  few  grunts,  but  seemed  in  no  way 
alarmed.  What  they  took  me  for  I  do  not  know. 
I  must  have  seemed  to  them  rather  a  strange  char- 
acter. I  had  advanced  a  few  paces,  when  two  men 
sprang  out  of  the  hut.  This  was  a  trying  moment. 
Greatly  to  my  satisfaction,  they  stretched  out  their 
hands  in  a  friendly  way  as  I  hobbled  on  toward 
them.  Though  they  had  painted  faces,  and  were 
dressed  in  skins,  I  saw  by  the  kind  expression  of 
their  countenances  that  they  commiserated  my  con- 
dition. Blood  was  even  then  streaming  from  my 
feet.     At  once  they  lifted  me  up  in  their  arms  and 


534  Dick  Onslow  and  the  Red  Skins : 

carried  me  into  the  hut,  where  they  placed  me  on 
a  couch  of  skins,  and  the  old  woman  brought  water 
from  the  river  which  flowed  close  by,  and  washed 
my  feet,  and  bound  them  up  with  salves.  The  pain 
from  which  I  had  so  long  been  suffering  quickly 
disappeared.  They  then  brought  me  a  piece  of 
salmon,  which  I  thought  delicious,  and  some  soup, 
which,  under  other  circumstances,  I  might  have 
thought  suspicious.  This,  with  some  roots  which 
they  roasted,  made  up  a  repast  more  refreshing 
than  I  had  eaten  for  a  long  time. 

I  could  not  speak  a  word  of  their  language,  nor 
did  they  understand  English,  but  I  tried  by  signs 
to  make  them  comprehend  that  I  had  parted  from 
my  companions,  and  that  I  wished  to  get  to  them. 
At  last  they  appeared  to  fancy  that  they  compre- 
hended me,  for  they  nodded  and  smiled,  and  ut- 
tered the  same  sounds  of  satisfaction  over  and  over 
again.  Tliey  signified,  however,  by  their  gestures, 
that  I  must  sleep  in  the  hut  that  night,  but  that  on 
the  following  morning,  as  soon  as  the  sun  rose,  we 
would  set  off  on  our  journey.  I  offered  them  the 
deer's  flesh  which  I  had  slung  about  me,  and  which 
they  seemed  to  value.  Just  before  dark,  however, 
they  brought  me  in  another  salmon,  which  I  pre- 
ferred to  the  somewhat  high-flavored  meat.  I  can- 
not describe  how  I  enjoyed  that  night's  rest.  I  had 
perfect  confidence  in  my  hosts,  and  I  had  no  longer 
the  dread  of  being  visited  by  a  wandering  bear  or 
)rowling  wolf.     I  felt  like  a  new  being  when,  next 


An  Adventure  in  the  Far  West.  335 

moriting,  tlie  good-natured  Indian  roused  me  from 
my  slumbers.  The  rushing  sound  of  waters  invited 
me  to  take  a  bath,  and,  going  down  to  the  river, 
I  stretched  my  limbs  with  a  pleasant  swim,  and 
then  returned  to  enjoy  a  hearty  breakfast  on  sal- 
mon, roots,  and  some  decoction  which  served  the 
purpose  of  tea.  My  hosts,  too,  liad  provided  some 
new  moccasins  in  which  to  shield  my  feet.  It  was 
a  completely  patriarchal  establishment.  There  was 
an  old  father  and  four  sons,  with  an  old  mother, 
and  another  old  woman  and  the  wives  of  the 
younger  men,  and  eight  or  ten  children.  The  skin- 
covered  huts  of  the  younger  couples  were  close  at 
hand,  under  the  trees.  The  old  man  and  his  eldest 
son  now  brought  up  three  horses,  they  mounted  me 
on  one,  and  they  leaped  on  the  others.  A  deer 
skin  served  as  a  saddle,  and  rough  thongs  of  leath- 
er as  a  bridle.  I  wished  all  the  family  a  hearty 
good-by,  resolved  in  future  to  think  better  of  In- 
dians than  I  had  done,  and  off  we  set.  How  de- 
lightful it  was  to  move  along  over  the  prairie  at  the 
rate  of  eight  or  ten  miles  an  hour,  instead  of  creep- 
ing along  with  suffering  feet,  as  I  had  been  so  long 
doing !  I  travelled  on  two  whole  days  on  a  wes- 
terly course  with  my  Indian  friends.  I  could  nol 
hold  much  conversation  with  my  guides,  except  by 
signs,  but  we  soon  appeared  to  understand  eacl 
other  perfectly  well.  I  made  out  that  we  were  ap- 
proaching the  camp  of  my  old  companions,  and  as 
I  drew  nearer  my  eagerness  increased  to  be  cnce 


336  Dick  Omhw  and  the  Red  Skins: 

more  among  them.  At  length  I  saw  wreaths  of 
white  smoke  curling  up  from  a  valley  below  us. 
They  must  proceed  from  a  considerable  encamp- 
ment. Tiie  Indians  and  I  rode  on  in  silence,  till 
I  heard  voices,  which  I  judged  came  from  the  spot 
where  I  had  seen  the  smoke  ascending-  Presently 
a  boy,  wliom  I  recognized  as  one  of  the  emigrant's 
children,  ran  back,  shouting  out,  "  Injins —  Injins !  " 
His  cries  brought  out  the  Raggets,  and  a  number 
of  my  friends  with  rifles  in  their  hands,  ready  to 
do  battle  in  case  of  necessity.  They  saw  that  we 
were  peaceably  disposed  ;  but  they  did  not  recog- 
nize me  till  I  was  in  the  middle  of  them,  and  had 
addressed  them  by  name. 

I  was  cordially  welcomed.  In  truth,  most  of 
them  had  given  me  up  for  lost.  They  showed  that 
they  placed  some  value  on  me  by  loading  my  In- 
dian friends  with  presents.       " 

I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  must  bring  my  adven- 
tures in  tlie  Far  West  to  a  conclusion.  We  struck 
our  tents  next  morning,  and  continued  our  jour- 
ney. After  a  variety  of  adventures  we  reached 
Califo.'uia,  and  at  once  proceeded  to  the  gold  dig- 
gings. Most  of  the  party  separated  and  worked 
for  themselves.  The  Raggets  kept  together,  and 
were  the  only  family  who  succeeded  in  securing  an 
independence. 

THE     END. 


^  [ibriryT 

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quaint  people  and  customs."  —  Chicago  Advance. 

LIFE   AT   PUGET   SOUND 

With  sketches  of  travel  m  Washington  Territory,  British  Columbia,  Oregon, 
and  California.     By  Caroline  C.  Leighton.     i6mo,  cloth,  $1.50. 
"  Your  chapters  on  Puget  Sound  have  charmed  me.     Full   of  life,  deeply 

interesting,  and   with  just  that  class  of  facts,  and  suggestions  of  truth,  that 

cannot  fail  to  help  the  Indian  and  the  Chinese."  —  Wendell  Phillips. 

EUROPEAN    BREEZES 

By  Margery  T3EANE.      Cloth,  gilt  top,  $1.50.      Being  chapters  of  travel 
through  Germany,  Austria,  Hungary,  and  Switzerland,  covering  places  not 
usually   visited  by  Americans  in  making  "  the  Grand  Tour  of  the  Conti- 
nent," by  the  accomplished  writer  of  "  Newport  Breezes." 
"  A  very  bright,  fresh   and  amusing  account,  which  tells  us  about  a  host  of 

tkings  we  never  heard  01  before,  and  is  worth  two  ordmary  books  of  European 

travel."  —  Woman's  Journal. 

BEATEN   PATHS  ;  or,  A  Woman's  Vacation  in  Europe 

By  Ella  W.  Thompson      i6mo,  cloth.     $i  50. 
A  lively  and  chatty  book  of  travel,  with  pen-pictures  humorous  and  graphic, 

that  are  decidedly  out  of  the  "  beaten  paths  "  of  description. 

AN    AMERICAN   GIRL   ABROAD 

By   Miss  Adeline   Trafton,   author  of  "  His   Inheritance,"  "  Katherine 
Earle,"  etc.     i6mo.     Illustrated.     $1.50. 
"  \  sparkling  account  of  a  European  trip  by  a  wide-awake,  intelligent,  and 

irrepressible  American  girl.     Pictured  with  a  freshness  and  vivacity  that  is 

delightful."  —  Vtica  Observer. 

CURTIS   GUILD'S   TRAVELS 
BRITONS  AND  MUSCOVITES;  or,  Traits  of  Two  Bmpires 

Cloth,  $2.00. 

OVER   THE  OCEAN;  or,  Sights  and  Scenes  in  Foreign  Lands 

By  Curtis  Guild,  editor  of  "  The  Boston  Commercial  Bulletin  '    '^>own  8vo. 

Cloth,  $2.50. 

"  The  utmost  that  any  European  tourist  can  hope  to  do  is  to  tell  the  old 
story  in  a  somewhat  fresh  way,  and  Mr.  Guild  has  succeeded  in  every  part  of 
his  book  in  doing  this."  —  Philadelphia  Bulletin. 
ABROAD  AGAIN ;  or.  Fresh  Forays  in  Foreign  Fields 
Uniform    with    "  Over   the   Ocean."      By   the    same    author.      Crown   8vo. 

Cloth,  $2.50. 

"  He  has  given  us  a  life-picture.  Europe  is  done  in  a  style  that  must  serve 
as  an  invaluable  guide  to  those  who  go  '  over  the  ocean,'  as  well  as  an  intet- 
e«'jng  companion."  —  Halifax  Citizen. 


Sola  by  all  booksellera,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price 

LEE  AND  SHEFARD  Publishers  Boston 
5 


UC  SOUTHERM  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A    000  957  243    9 


